Life expectancy lags, nutritional deficiency a factor

(CNN)– Nutritional deficiency is far from a leading cause of death in the U.S. but it is having an impact.

The mortality rate from having poor diet has grown significantly enough in recent years to impact life expectancy.

More than 21 thousand people died from malnutrition in 2022.

The rate more than doubling over the past five years.

That’s according to data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention.

Poor nutrition is most deadly for the oldest Americans.

CDC data shows more than half of the deaths attributed to nutritional deficiency in 2022 were among those age 85 and older.