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Southern States Are Least Healthy
MSN.com ^ | 13 November 2002 | Lisa Habib

Posted on 11/13/2002 9:03:46 AM PST by SheLion

Southern States Are Least Healthy

Annual Rankings Show U.S. Health 15% Better Than in 1990

Reviewed By  Brunilda Nazario, MD
WebMD Medical News
 

Nov. 11, 2002 -- It's apparently good for your health to live in New England, and not so good in the South. An annual ranking of states according to the health of their populations shows five of the top 10 states are in the Northeast and seven of the bottom 10 are in the South.

The UnitedHealth Foundation ranks New Hampshire as the healthiest state for the sixth time in the 13 years of the rankings. In the top 10, New Hampshire is followed by Minnesota, Massachusetts, Utah, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa, Colorado, North Dakota, and Maine.

The least healthy state is Louisiana. The bottom ten are West Virginia, New Mexico, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

State Health Rankings

1. New Hampshire

2. Minnesota

3 Massachusetts

4. Utah

5. Connecticut

6. Vermont

7. Iowa (tie)

7. Colorado (tie)

9. North Dakota

10. Maine

11. Washington (tie)

11. Wisconsin (tie)

13. Rhode Island

14. Hawaii

15. Nebraska

16. South Dakota

17. Oregon

18. Virginia

19. New Jersey

20. Idaho

21. Kansas

22. Indiana

23. Pennsylvania

24. Montana (tie)

24. California (tie)

26. Wyoming

27. Ohio

28. Maryland

29. Michigan

30. Alaska

31. Illinois

32. New York (tie)

32. Missouri (tie)

34. Arizona

35. Delaware

36. North Carolina

37. Texas

38. Nevada

39. Kentucky

40. Georgia

41. West Virginia

42. New Mexico

43. Florida

44. Tennessee

45. Alabama

46. Oklahoma

47. Arkansas

48. South Carolina

49. Mississippi

50. Louisiana

 

 

The foundation based its rankings on factors including smoking, motor vehicle deaths, heart disease risk, high school graduation rates, children in poverty, prenatal care, access to health insurance, and public spending on healthcare.

 

It also took into account deaths from and incidence of certain diseases, deaths on the job, infant mortality, and premature death.

 

According to the foundation's report, the rankings reflect a state's average resident. But major disparities exist among people of different races in all states. For example, black adults have a far greater chance of dying before age 75 than Asians. And white, pregnant women are far more likely to get prenatal care than Native Americans.

 

Overall, the health of the United States declined by less than a percentage point from 2001 to 2002. The foundation attributed that to a decrease in public spending on healthcare and an increase in premature death (before age 75).

 

About 20 states had much improved health scores this year from the year before. The best increases were in Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota, which significantly reduced the number of their children living in poverty and improved other conditions.

 

Twenty-six states had worse health scores; the biggest decreases were in Maryland, Alaska, and Mississippi -- where smoking actually increased.

 

Since the UnitedHealth Foundation began ranking states in 1990, it says the health of the U.S. has improved 15.5% and all states individually have improved. The prime reasons are:

 

  • 22% fewer smokers
  • 40% fewer motor vehicle deaths
  • 17% decrease in violent crime
  • 11% increase in prenatal care
  • 100% increase in public spending
  • 32% reduction in infant mortality

 

The UnitedHealth Foundation is a private, nonprofit health information organization. It based its report on data from federal agencies.



TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: foundation; health; pufflist; united
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To: Gabz
Talk about doublespeak - this is in reference to a half percent drop - yet a few paragraphs later they said Health has increased over 15% during past 10 years based in part by 100% increase in public spending.

They are cute, aren't they? Sad part about this is, most of the general public eats this up.

21 posted on 11/13/2002 9:46:36 AM PST by SheLion
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To: Hanging Chad
Yup - public spending on healthcare, high school graduation rates, access to health insurance ... those are the things that make a person healthy, all right.... What a bunch of dum-asses.

BINGO

22 posted on 11/13/2002 9:48:30 AM PST by SheLion
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To: SheLion
Yeah, but who is happier?

If I were given a choice:
1)Live up north and live to be 100.
or
2)Live where I am at (GA) and live to be 60.

I would choose to live to be 60. Quality over Length anyday.
23 posted on 11/13/2002 9:49:48 AM PST by cdefreese
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To: Hanging Chad
But he's super, thanks for asking.
24 posted on 11/13/2002 9:53:14 AM PST by Diddle E. Squat
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To: cdefreese
I would choose to live to be 60. Quality over Length anyday.

That's how I believe as well. When the good Lord calls my number, it won't matter WHERE I live, WHAT I eat, or if I smoke! Life is terminal. Amen. :)

25 posted on 11/13/2002 10:17:38 AM PST by SheLion
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To: ItisaReligionofPeace
Son, I am very familiar with the Southern diet so ignorance is not an issue here except yours. Raised on blackeyed peas, fried everything, corn bread, butterbeans, greens, still drool for some of my mom's banana pudding. Damn it now I'm gotta go eat. All of a sudden I am starving.

While there is no question that the best football players, baseball players etc. come from the South (probably from the same reason you throw up as an excuse for the poor dietary practices of the region.) Please don't foster any illusions about the diet there or I'll throw a Moon Pie at you. Hmmmmmm, Moon Pie aaaarggglllhhh.
26 posted on 11/13/2002 10:43:59 AM PST by justshutupandtakeit
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To: SheLion
Have you no pity? Posting a picture like that should get anyone banned for life.

Although comparing myself to that makes me think I am skinny.
27 posted on 11/13/2002 10:45:52 AM PST by justshutupandtakeit
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To: justshutupandtakeit
Isn't buttered ice cream a local delicacy?

Especially when it's deep-fried and served with a side of grits.

28 posted on 11/13/2002 10:48:46 AM PST by Corin Stormhands
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To: cdefreese
Good post. You might like this article - I enjoyed it so much, I posted it earlier today: Two Score & Three
29 posted on 11/13/2002 10:55:03 AM PST by stainlessbanner
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To: SheLion
The fact that the south in a magnet for most of country's senior citizens may have a great deal for these results. Add to that the fact that the majority of these seniors are covered by either Medicare or a private insurance company or both and thus attract every quack who can hang a shingle on his wall claiming a medical degree. Some of which are issued in nations where the standards fall far short of degrees offered in this country.
30 posted on 11/13/2002 10:58:11 AM PST by scouse
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To: SheLion
Whatchusay! Huh! South Carolina is just as healthy as any other state as well as it's citizens. This type is pure crap.
31 posted on 11/13/2002 11:47:18 AM PST by dixie sass
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To: SheLion
It'll take a whole lot more than a top spot on the health hit parade to get me to consider moving to liberal loonylands like New Hampshire, Minnesota or Massachusetts.
32 posted on 11/13/2002 11:57:08 AM PST by marshmallow
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To: SheLion
That heat will kill ya !
33 posted on 11/13/2002 12:00:08 PM PST by John Lenin
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To: justshutupandtakeit
Hit me with a Moon Pie if you'd like...but please hose me off with some RC Cola when you're done! p.s. I have another theory on why generally Southerners are better soldiers, football players and baseball players, but that's for another thread.
34 posted on 11/14/2002 9:02:36 AM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace
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To: justshutupandtakeit
Watch your mouth! There ain't nuthin' better than toast with hog drippin's yankee!
35 posted on 11/14/2002 9:05:55 AM PST by dljordan
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To: dljordan
Hey, boy. I'll bet I am the only person in Chicago who grows butterbeans.
36 posted on 11/15/2002 9:11:37 AM PST by justshutupandtakeit
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To: nanny
The article is sooooo right!! It is unhealthy down here. Especially Texas - the worst - just the worst. No place for people to want to migrate. Please, we will force feed you fat 'possum' fried in lard and force you to smoke Camels. No bicycles here - just big old SUV's. Bad place - bad place.

LOL! Yep. Nothin' like a big ol' slab of chicken fried steak to make your life flash before your eyes. I cook mine in Crisco. That's the best.

37 posted on 11/15/2002 9:19:09 AM PST by southern rock
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To: poopoobutter
Walking is an excellent form of exercise. Unfortunately, where I live in Georgia the air is so polluted that it's a health hazard to be outside on most days

Nonsense. Even by the absurdly restrictive EPA rules there were only 20 days in all of 2001 that exceeded the O3"standards" in Atlanta, and only 3 days in the next highest region. Where do you get this BS? Do you live in the smokstack of plant Bowen?

38 posted on 11/15/2002 9:31:27 AM PST by from occupied ga
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To: SheLion
What a joke!

As far as Florida goes, we have one of the highest population of seniors in the country. So, I bet that when one of them dies, the first question out of the UnitedHealth Foundation's mouth is "Did they smoke?" If the answer is yes, they will list that as cause of death, even if the family says they died of liver disease!!

Since we have so many seniors, the number of them that die from "smoking related" illnesses skyrockets. LOL!

39 posted on 11/15/2002 9:31:52 AM PST by RMDupree
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To: SheLion
The foundation based its rankings on factors including smoking, motor vehicle deaths, heart disease risk, high school graduation rates, children in poverty, prenatal care, access to health insurance, and public spending on healthcare.

This says it all - every one of these is a government bureaucrat's ticket to loot more pelf from the taxpayers and more pass more restrictions on lifestyle. This survey doesn't rank health, but government meddling and taxpayer plundering.

40 posted on 11/15/2002 9:35:49 AM PST by from occupied ga
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