A comprehensive study by more than 130 scientists from nearly 40 countries reveals that poor diets drive more deaths worldwide than tobacco, high blood pressure, or any other health risk. Low intake of nutritious foods like whole grains, paired with excess unhealthy options such as sugary drinks, accounts for one in five global deaths.
In 2017, suboptimal diets contributed to 10.9 million deaths—22% of all adult deaths—with cardiovascular disease as the top cause, followed by cancer and diabetes. They also led to 255 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)*, representing 16% of all adult DALYs. For context, tobacco linked to 8.0 million deaths and high blood pressure to 10.4 million.
Cardiovascular disease topped diet-related deaths at 9,497,300 and 207.2 million DALYs, followed by cancer (913,100 deaths, 20.2 million DALYs), diabetes (338,700 deaths, 23.7 million DALYs), and kidney disease (136,600 deaths, 3.4 million DALYs).
While dietary risks vary by country, low whole grains, low fruit, and high sodium drove over 50% of diet-related deaths and 66% of DALYs. The rest stemmed from high red meat, processed meats, sugary beverages, trans fats, and more. Largest gaps between current and ideal diets appeared in nuts/seeds, milk, and whole grains.
Recent nutrition debates focus on sodium, sugar, and fats, but this analysis highlights diets high in sodium, low in whole grains, fruit, nuts/seeds, and vegetables as the deadliest—each tied to over 2% of global deaths.
Among the 20 most populous countries, Egypt saw the highest diet-related deaths (552 per 100,000) and DALYs (11,837 per 100,000) in 2017; Japan the lowest (97 per 100,000 deaths, 2,300 per 100,000 DALYs).
*Disability-adjusted life years measure the total disease burden, combining years of life lost and years lived with disability.
