In GBD 2016, poor dietary habits were the second leading risk factor at Level 2 of the hierarchy for mortality globally, accounting for nearly one in every five deaths. The overall burden of dietary risks at the global level was 14·8% (11·7–18·5) lower than in GBD 2015. Additionally, important differences were observed in the attributable burden and the ranking of individual dietary risks. Multiple factors have contributed to these differences, including using more data sources, as well as improving the method of estimation of the mean and distribution of intake for each dietary factor. In GBD 2016, for the first time, we used sales data to inform our estimates of consumption for most dietary factors. Using sales data, in addition to improving our overall data coverage, allowed us to capture recent trends in consumption. This was particularly important for specific dietary factors, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, which have been the target of dietary policies in several countries.38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 Additionally, to improve the consistency of definitions of dietary risk factors across surveys, we made a systematic effort
