U.S. Healthy Named

For the fourth consecutive year, Vermont took first place as the healthiest. He applauded the state graduation rate of the school to the high and low of the uninsured, the report also found that Vermont is not without its problems. For Vermonters have relatively high rates of cancer deaths and more participated in binge drinking than most countries (Wisconsiners excessive drinking part, Tennessee say the least). Vermont is a great company in the northeast of the seven countries of the region to the Top 10.

Second place went to Hawaii, a regular competitor in the first place. Since the classification began in 1990, Hawaii is consistently ranked among the top six states. Hawaii enjoying lower rates of obesity and smoking, but there is a high rate of alcohol abuse and babies with low birth weight.

Louisiana and Mississippi tied for the nation healthier and continuous bottom of the list of the last 23 years. Both countries have lower rates of heavy drinking, but suffer from high mortality and the employment of children in poverty. Both countries are under five years in about half of the 24 components that make up the overall standings, including high rates of chronic diseases such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity and diabetes.

Chronic health conditions are at risk across the country. Obesity alone is the leading cause of preventable deaths and costs our nation approximately $ 200 billion per year. More than 66 million adults are obese - more than one in four Americans. Colorado is less obese state and configured least unlike Mississippi. Gordo and settled more

"It is important to remember that we are living longer but not necessarily better," said Jane Pennington, spokesman for the United Health Foundation, the group responsible for the report. "Despite the improvement, we still have unhealthy behaviors that endanger our health continually disappointing that we see an increase in chronic diseases .. I do not. Do we want to sound the alarm. '

While smoking in the U.S. has been declining recently, over 45 million Americans still smoke, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Utah had the lowest percentage of people smoking and Kentucky have the highest.

"People should be concerned about this report," said Dr. Anthony Shih, executive vice president of the Commonwealth Fund programs. "Clearly, when you live in terms of health problems as a whole and should motivate action to improve."

States must see the neighbors that it is healthy ways to improve.

"The relatively high performance of the [fourth] Massachusetts - the application is expected to motivate other countries to participate in the expansion of Medicaid and implement more aggressive in their own country managed ACA - where laws similar to the Affordable Care Act legislation in 2006. can improve the performance of most of the country, "said Shih.

With the availability of programs and policies that support better health, the state can expect a better classification. If a country has increased taxes on cigarettes and banning smoking in public places, for example, the number of smokers in the country has had to reduce, reduce deaths from heart disease and cancer mortality.

These statistics show that countries can improve their ranking. Classification Vermont 20 in 1990, but continued to make improvements in recent years to get where he is today.