FIGURE 56.2 Leading health risks in the world. If we consider all deaths that occur and separate them into different causes, we can examine which categories cause the highest percentage of all deaths. The leading health risks for low-income countries include issues related to low nutrition and poor sanitation. The leading risks for high-income countries include issues related to tobacco use, inactivity, obesity, and urban air pollution.

(Data from World Health Organization, 2009)