America's healthiest and unhealthiest states: The future does not look bright

December 4, 5:29 PMWellness ExaminerJoshua Futterman

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Sorry, this ain't the healthiest state; it's the other one (source)

America's Health Rankings report issued by the United Health Foundation released today its findings for 2008.  The rankings are based on 22 health measure including smoking, obesity, high school graduation rates and the environment.  

The healthiest states this year are:

1. Vermont
2. Hawaii
3. New Hampshire
4. Minnesota
5. Utah

Vermont retained its title as the healthiest state in the country for the second year in a row. 

The unhealthiest states (from worst ranked) are:

1. Louisiana
2. Mississippi
3. South Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Texas

It looks like the deep south leads the nation for obesity and other unhealthy trends.  The report also stated the attempts to improve the health of Americans are not making notable progress.  About 1 in 4 Americans is considered obese, putting them at risk for such health problems as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. 

We can only hope measures are put into place to avoid an ugly scenario of skyrocketing healthcare costs and an obesity epidemic that cripples the nation.