The table below is derived from the World Health Organization’s “Global Burden of Disease 2010”. Diet and having a long and disability-free life explains what a DALY is at greater length.
| Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) Risk Factors. DALY = years of life lost to premature death + years lived with disability. | High-income North America | Global |
| Tobacco smoking, including 2nd hand smoke | 1 | 2 |
| High body-mass index | 2 | 6 |
| Alcohol use | 3 | 3 |
| High blood pressure | 4 | 1 |
| High fasting plasma glucose | 5 | 7 |
| Physical inactivity and low physical activity | 6 | 10 |
| Diet low in fruits | 7 | 5 |
| Diet Low in nuts and seeds | 8 | 12 |
| High total cholesterol | 9 | 15 |
| Drug use | 10 | 19 |
| Diet high in sodium | 11 | 11 |
| Diet high in processed meat | 12 | 22 |
| Diet low in vegetables | 13 | 17 |
| Ambient particulate matter pollution | 14 | 9 |
| Diet high in tran fatty acids | 15 | 28 |
| Diet low in seafood omega-3 fatty acids | 16 | 18 |
| Diet low in whole grains | 17 | 16 |
| Diet Low in fibre | 18 | 24 |
| Diet high in sugar-sweetened beverages | 19 | 32 |
| Diet low in polyunsaturated fatty acids | 20 | 27 |
| Childhood sexual abuse | 21 | 33 |
| Intimate partner violence | 22 | 23 |
| Occupational low back pain | 23 | 21 |
| Lead exposure | 24 | 26 |
| Occupational risk factors for injuries | 25 | 20 |
| Low bone mineral density | 26 | 35 |
| Residential radon | 27 | 40 |
| Occupational particulate matter, gases and fumes | 28 | 30 |
| Diet low in calcium | 29 | 38 |
| Diet low in milk | 30 | 41 |
| Occupational carcinogens | 31 | 37 |
| Diet high in red meat | 32 | 43 |
| Ambient ozone pollution | 33 | 39 |
| Occupational asthmagens | 34 | 42 |
| Iron deficiency | 35 | 13 |
| Occupational noise | 36 | 36 |
| Zinc deficiency | 37 | 31 |
| Unimproved water source | 38 | 34 |
| childhood underweight | 39 | 8 |
| Vitamin A deficiency | 40 | 29 |
| Unimproved sanitation | 41 | 25 |
| Household air pollution from solid fuels | N/A | 4 |
| Supoptimal breastfeeding | N/A | 14 |
