I think understanding what are the top causes of death is as important as living on the planet earth.  Understand the statistics and avoiding things that enhance mortality is essential.  Although no one gets immortal, knowing what reasons are could help us to live longer would be beneficial. However, the good news may be there are researchers saying diseases, which are leading causes of death ,such as heart diseases and HIV,  were declined by almost 30% for a decade. 

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQNQLG4N5ZA6cpevAGkHZNgzCXQKmEgb5mNzdkbowX6mg/image.png)
[Image Source](https://blog.tedmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/4_coming_to_terms_with_obesity.jpg)

However, the leading cause of death according to GBD is obesity and mental illness. Researchers believe that they are detrimental and should be considered.  Moreover, significant amount of deaths are caused due to cardiovascular diseases. 
>Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart diseases and stroke, account for one-third of deaths throughout the world, according to a new scientific study that examined every country over the past 25 years. [Source](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170517143625.htm)

Now coming to obesity, we can avoid it as long as we have good food and healthy lifestyle around.  Few things like adding and ignoring some items from your diet, physical exercise, and mental peace seem to be more important when we are aiming for less prone to early mortality. 

Food such as less in carbohydrates and more in fat helps people to have a balanced diet. Nevertheless, it is believed that when people need to reduce weight, they often go for low fat foods. But fats vary, there are healthy fats which has to be taken by all because it consists of a bunch of nutrients. Consider avocados, known for rich in monosaturated fats and foods like flax seeds that contains more amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, aids us to control cholesterol, and helps to reduce weight. This method of eating fights against cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. 

In addition to that, add more fiber to your food. I think all fruits and vegetables come into this category. Finding fiber to eat is not a big task, as it seems to be. However, eating through natural form rather than artificial ones gives an abundance of benefits.  

Another point to consider is that quitting sugar and processed foods would help you the most when you want to get rid of obesity and to try to lose weight. Sugar augments you at the risk of more devastating diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardio vascular diseases and even increase the risk associated with some kinds of cancer. Sometimes we do not know whether we are eating any sugar in our meal, such as when we are at restaurant. Therefore, best possible way to avoid sugar is by avoiding any processed food.

Obesity is not only the major problem of causing death; there are still more that are linked to mental illness. Depression is one which is bothering almost everyone on the planet.  Avoiding it is not as easy as eating a good food. However, trying to prevent it is what we can do. Some things like yoga, meditation, and getting used to essential oils will reduce stress to some extent.