This article lists the top five risks faced in the world today posed by preventable threats to health. Although these are all highly publicized, little is still done to deal with the global health ticking time bomb.

1. Smoking

This is by far the single biggest threat to global health there is today, even with smoking being banned and advertising being outlawed in many countries. Estimates from various sources put the number of smoking related deaths globally anywhere between three and five million individuals every single year. Those are massive numbers by any standard, and it is concerning that the trend shows little sign of changing course in a positive manner in the near future.

Whether it is through causing various cancers or heart and lung problems, smoking is still the biggest global killer and the largest threat to global health there is today.

2. Alcohol

In a similar vein to smoking, the health risks that are posed by drinking excessive alcohol are bring widened all of the time. Alcohol awareness programs around the world are now being attended by more people than ever before and, along with drugs and other substance abuse, this is a growing danger, particularly with people still losing their jobs and suffering depression due to the global financial crisis.

3. Lack of Exercise

Part of the problem when it comes to lack of exercise is that, despite there having been numerous studies and areas of research carried out, there is still no real definitive answer as to how much exercise people need. The issue is that it has now been shown that how much exercise you need can depend on genetics, so people who exercise for say, thirty minutes or an hour each day without seeing much of an impact over a period of time just simply give up doing it at all.

4. Poor Diet

In many ways this is directly linked to the lack of exercise problem, however there are many people who believe following a poor diet yet exercising regularly will solve the issue. Unfortunately, what this does not do is help deal with visceral fat, dangerous stores that build up around your internal organs. You can look great on the outside but a wreck on the inside, so make sure diet and exercise go hand in hand.

5. Air Quality

Despite there being hundreds of global initiatives to deal with air pollution and reduce carbon emissions, the simple fact is that these are at higher levels than ever before. This is why you see people on the streets of Shanghai wearing protective masks over their faces, although many cities around the world, including London and New York, have very poor levels of air quality that is putting the health of their citizens at risk.

Jasper and Jasper are an electronic cigarettes UK company that specialises in the retail of e-cigarettes and starter packs.