Addiction

The top killers in the U.S. in 2002 were:
1. Diseases of heart 696,947
2. Malignant neoplasms (cancer) 557,271
MEDICAL TREATMENT 225,000 (Not listed on CDC's web site I assume because it isn't a disease.)
3. Cerebrovascular diseases 162,672
4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases 124,816
5. Unintentional injuries 106,742
6. Diabetes mellitus 73,249

For a total of 1,721,697 persons who died of lifestyle diseases. The main contributor to these illnesses is addiction. Addiction to food, cigarettes, alcohol, and other mood altering substances and activities.

Eckhart Tolle said that all addiction is caused by the inability to face and deal with pain.
Michael Brown said that all addiction is caused by inner emotional discomfort.

Therefore, inner emotional discomfort and the inability to face and deal with pain kills more people each day than anything else.

2007 update:

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported recently that the third leading cause of death in the U.S. is now medical treatment.