A poor diet is responsible for more deaths worldwide than tobacco, high blood pressure or any other health risk, according to a new scientific study. Consuming low amounts of healthy foods, such as whole grains, and too many unhealthy foods, including sweetened drinks, are responsible for one in five deaths worldwide. More than 130 scientists from nearly 40 countries contributed to the analysis.
Poor diets were responsible for 10.9 million deaths, or 22% of all adult deaths in 2017, with cardiovascular disease as the leading cause, followed by cancer and diabetes. They also resulted in 255 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)*, which are equal to the sum of years lost and years lived with a disability. Poor diet represents 16% of all adult DALYs worldwide. By comparison, tobacco was associated with 8.0 million deaths and high blood pressure was linked to 10.4 million deaths.
In 2017, cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of diet-related deaths (9,497,300) and DALYs (207.2 million), followed by cancer (913,100 deaths and 20.2 million DALYs), diabetes (338,700 deaths and 23.7 million DALYs) and kidney disease. (136,600 deaths and 3.4 million DALYs).
The study finds that while the impact of individual dietary factors varies from country to country, three dietary factors — low intake of whole grains, as well as fruit and high sodium consumption — accounted for more than 50% of diet-related deaths and 66% of DALYs. . The other 50% of deaths and 34% of DALYs were attributed to high consumption of red meat, processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fatty acids among other foods. The largest differences between current and optimal diets were observed for nuts and seeds, milk and whole grains.
While sodium, sugar and fat have been at the center of the nutritional policy debate in recent years, the review shows that the top risk factors that cause death are diets high in sodium, low in whole grains, low in fruit, low in nuts. and seeds, and low in vegetables. Each of these is responsible for more than 2% of all deaths worldwide.
Of the 20 most populous countries in the world, Egypt had the highest number of deaths from diet (552 per 100,000) and DALYs (11,837 per 100,000) in 2017; Japan had the lowest number of food-related deaths (97 per 100,000) and DALYs (2,300 per 100,000).
* Disability-adjusted life years are a measure of the total burden caused by diseases.
