== Preventing illness by reducing health risks ==
[[File:11834504 3cc3c49559.jpg|250px|right|thumbnail|Two of the major risk factors for becoming [[obesity|obese]] according to the [[Mayo Clinic]] are poor dietary choices and inactivity.<ref>[http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314/DSECTION=causes Causes of obesity]</ref> ]]
''See also:'' [[Preventative medicine]] and [[Self-care]] and [[Health risks linked to obesity]]
In 2020, Britain's eminent medical journal ''Lancet'' reportedconcerning [[preventative medcicine]]:
{{Cquote|A substantial proportion of poor health in populations is preventable. Previous work from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study suggests that nearly half of all health burden in the USA is attributable to a list of 84 modifiable risk factors. Globally, it is also generally accepted that a quarter, or perhaps up to half, of all deaths fall into the category of preventable deaths, making illness that can at least theoretically be avoided an accepted part of our health accounting.