Do we know what’s really killing us?
June 1, 2000 less than 1 minute read
Do we know what’s really killing us?
We may think we know the main causes of premature death in the United States, but according to recent surveys by the Washington, DC-based Partnership for Prevention, many of us are way off base. This is disconcerting, since many of these "average" Americans surveyed may also be employees. Here are some of the highlights of the research:
• Only 23% of consumers believe that smoking is the leading cause of premature death in the United States. In fact, smoking is the No. 1 cause of premature death, killing more than 400,000 Americans annually.
• 60% of consumers believe that motor vehicle accidents, illicit drugs, or firearms are the leading cause of premature death in the United States (28%, 17%, and 15%, respectively). In fact, those three causes combined account for less than 10% of all premature deaths, making them the third-leading cause of premature death among Americans.
• 18% of consumers believe that alcohol is the leading cause of premature death among Americans.
• Only 9% of consumers cite obesity as the leading cause of premature death. Obesity and inactivity combined are the second-leading cause of premature death among Americans, killing more than 300,000 annually.
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