Smoking, drinking alcohol, lack of sleep -- these are just a few of the many reasons why people get sick. These are considered lifestyle factors that are known to affect a person's overall health negatively. However, according to new studies, none of these factors could kill a person faster than a poor diet. Dr. Ashkan Afshin, a lead author of the study, said that "poor eating habits can be considered a killer but provides people with equal opportunities." He meant anyone could die of it regardless of age, gender or social demographics.

The research study was recently published in the journal The Lancet and it involved analysis of more than 130 scientists from more than 40 countries worldwide. The result shows that an unhealthy diet is the one responsible for 22% of the deaths among adults in 2017. Roughly 10.9 million people all over the world diet of cardiovascular disease as their primary cause. Cancer and diabetes were the next two in line.

In addition to the growing number of deaths associated with poor diet, the studies show that unhealthy eating habits also contribute to more than 255 million DALYs -- Disability-adjusted life years -- each year. This result as the study explains were taken from the records that show a collection of years spent by people living with disabilities because of their poor diet choices.

Overall, a poor diet is behind more than 16%  of adults suffering from DALYs all over the world. This number is growing as people opt to eat more junk food on a daily basis. Variations of poor diet come in many forms. However, the study was able to point it to the direction of specific factors which include high sodium intake, low consumption of whole grains, and little to no amount of fruit in the regular diet. There are other risky habits too like eating red meat, eating large amounts of processed foods and sugary drinks.

All these contribute to the risk factors that make people sick. These findings could also serve the general public that if they want to stay healthy and live a long beautiful life, then they should include proper management of their food choices. Fast food edibles like French fries, burgers, and milkshake may all be too tempting to say no to. But when you know that these can shorten the life you live, making it more difficult to survive day to day, then you might just want to think twice the next time you crave for these treats.

Instead, replace them with foods with high nutritional value like plant-based proteins, nuts, and seeds, whole grains plus fruits and vegetables. All these could help strengthen the immune system and fight off diseases.