THE BIG WHAT IF'S: So just what tops the list of our biggest fears? For one, plane crashes. About 30 million people say they're afraid of flying and subsequently dying in a plane crash. One-third of people in a recent poll say they're afraid of a terrorist attack. People also fear shark attacks, falling to their death, bee stings and natural disasters. Here's a breakdown of the actual risk of dying from some of these common fears:
Plane crashes - The annual risk of dying in a plane crash for is about one in 11 million.
Terrorist attacks - After 9/11, this fear is understandable, but the risk of being killed in a terrorist attack is only about one in nine million.
Shark Attacks - Only 1,909 confirmed shark attacks occurred around the world between 1580 and 2003. Of those, 737 happened in the U.S. and just 38 people died as a result. So rest easy - the actual risk of being attacked by a shark is one in 11.5 million.
Bee, Hornet, Wasp stings - The risk of dying by a sting from one of these guys is about one in 4.4 million in any given year.
Lightning - Your risk of dying in a lightning strike is one in about 6.2 million in any given year.
Floods - Hurricane Katrina aside, the risk of dying in a flood in any given year is about one in 11 million.
Poisonous Spiders - The risk of death from spiders in a given year? One in 36.3 million.
Falling to Death - The risk of falling to death in a given year is one in 16,881.
Poisonous Snakes and Lizards - It's a long shot, but it could happen. In a given year, your risk of being killed by one of these slimy creatures is about one in 145.4 million.
WHAT WE SHOULD FEAR:
Heart Disease: The number one killer of Americans. One in 2.4 people will succumb to heart disease.
Cancer: One in four men will die of cancer. One in five women will die of cancer.
Diabetes: This rapidly growing disease is the fifth leading cause of death among Americans.
Chronic Respiratory Disease: This is in the top five causes of death for males and females.
Stroke: This is the third leading cause of death among women. It's number four among men.
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