[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by NotFromAroundHere

From The CDC:
Percentage of Americans who smoke: 18.1%
Annual Alcohol related deaths: 88,000
Annual Obesity related deaths: 112,000
Annual Smoking related deaths: 443,000

Studies can be found to say almost anything and some totally contradict others. No doubt smoking, excessive drinking, and obesity are all 3 heavy contributors to the death rates in America.

From this study over 10 years ago:

Tobacco use was linked to 435,000 deaths in 2000 or 18.1% of total deaths. Poor diet/physical inactivity accounted for 400,000 deaths, or 16.6% of deaths, in 2000 (Cover Figure).



http://www.drugfree.org/join-togethe...ths-worldwide/

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Caus....z8TniN0Z.dpbs

Obesity to Overtake Smoking as Leading Cause of Death
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Tobacco use continues to be the underlying cause of the greatest number of deaths in the United States, according to an analysis of actual causes of death by researchers at the CDC. However, poor diet/ lack of physical activity, currently ranked number 2, is expected to surpass smoking as the prevailing underlying cause of death by 2005.

Tobacco use was linked to 435,000 deaths in 2000 or 18.1% of total deaths. Poor diet/physical inactivity accounted for 400,000 deaths, or 16.6% of deaths, in 2000 (Cover Figure).

While smoking rates have dropped in recent years, obesity is on the rise. Currently, nearly 65% of Americans are overweight. From 1990 to 2000, the number of deaths attributed to poor diet/physical inactivity increased markedly in both absolute and relative terms, from 300,000 to 400,000 deaths and from 14% to 16.6% of total deaths. Although the number of deaths caused by smoking also increased from 1990 to 2000, the increase was slight, up 35,000 from 400,000 in 1990 (the increase can be attributed to the inclusion of deaths caused by secondhand smoke and infant deaths caused by maternal smoking, which were not reflected in the 1990 data).

Despite the increase in the number of smoking-related deaths, the percentage of deaths linked to tobacco use declined nearly 1 percentage point, from 19% of all deaths in 1990. Actual causes of death are defined as lifestyle and behavior that contribute to the reported causes of death, with heart disease, cancer, and stroke topping the list of reported causes (Figure).