If adults in the U.S. ate 30% less processed meat like bacon and hot dogs, we could prevent hundreds of thousands of health problems — including diabetes, heart issues, cancer, and deaths — over the next 10 years.

If most adults in the U.S. ate 30% less red and processed meat, models predict we could avoid over a million diabetes cases, hundreds of thousands of heart problems, and tens of thousands of cancers and deaths in 10 years.

If adults in the U.S. ate 30% less red meat like beef or pork, computer models predict we could avoid hundreds of thousands of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer cases—and save tens of thousands of lives—over 10 years.

Eating a lot of processed meats like bacon or sausages is strongly linked to a higher chance of getting serious diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart problems, and even dying earlier.

If you eat less processed meats like bacon and hot dogs, you might be less likely to get heart disease or diabetes—not because of the fat, but because of all the salt and chemicals in them.

Eating processed meats like bacon and hot dogs might raise your risk of heart disease and diabetes more than eating plain red meat, probably because they have more salt and chemicals added to preserve them.