Summary
This analysis quantified global adherence to the Planetary Health Diet (EAT-Lancet reference diet) and estimated mortality benefits of dietary shift using data from 206,404 US cohort participants. Current global adherence to the PHD was universally suboptimal (mean PHDI 85/140), with substantial variation across countries. Modelling suggests that improving global PHDI to 120 could prevent approximately 15 million deaths annually (27% of total mortality), with the largest preventable burden in cardiovascular disease (2.5 million deaths) and smaller reductions in neurodegenerative disease mortality.
UK applicability
The UK's current dietary patterns and PHDI adherence are likely to fall within the globally suboptimal range reported. UK policy on food and nutrition could draw on these findings to establish targets for sustainable dietary shifts, though absolute mortality estimates derive from US cohort data and should be interpreted cautiously when applied to UK populations with different baseline disease rates and dietary structures.
Key measures
Planetary Health Dietary Index (PHDI) scores (out of 140); preventable deaths (total and cause-specific); proportion of total mortality preventable
Outcomes reported
The study measured current national and global adherence to the Planetary Health Diet using the Planetary Health Dietary Index (PHDI) and estimated cause-specific mortality that could be prevented by shifting from current diets to the reference PHD using data from three large US cohorts.
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