It’s by far the fastest-growing cause of death in America, soaring sixfold over the past decade or so, according to our analysis of death certificate data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But at the same time, it can’t explain a 746 percent increase in malnutrition deaths over that period. For example, we’ve seen very little growth in malnutrition deaths in hospitals in recent years. But does that mean rising malnutrition deaths are a mirage? He said he’d seen diagnoses like malnutrition on more and more death certificates.

Source: Washington Post January 05, 2026 18:51 UTC