The Skinny:
Location, location, location. It is everything when it comes to real estate investments. It may also be crucial in determining how well and how long someone lives. WellWell, in fact, went looking to identify the five unhealthiest states based on several listings that reviewed data from several federal agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These rankings were established using an amalgam of health measures, including those touching on diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, social isolation, lack of exercise, obesity, tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, drug overdose and life expectancy. The states that fared worst fell in a fan-shaped wedge spreading upwards from Louisiana and shared some socioeconomic and environmental features. Do these rankings mean that living in one of these states is a harbinger of a bleak health future for all residents? Perhaps not, but it’s still good to know where the living isn’t exactly easy. Read on.
The Slate:
Missouri – Fifth Unhealthiest
The Show-Me State comes in as the fifth unhealthiest state with an average life expectancy of 75.1 years. The state ranked 12 worst in the nation for cancer deaths, 10 worst for cardiovascular deaths and 17 worst for obesity. It also has the sixth-highest tobacco use, placed 10 worst heaviest alcohol use and ninth-highest mental illness rates. Unfortunately, its healthcare performance ranked 47 in the nation with per capita GDP standing at 37 in the United States. Along with this, 29 percent of its residents fall below the federal poverty level, all of which helps Missouri live up to its pejorative nickname, “The State of Misery.”
Mississippi – Fourth Unhealthiest
The Magnolia State has the nation’s lowest per capita GDP, the second highest rate of diabetes and hypertension and the shortest life expectancy in the country at 71.9 years. The state’s Public Health Report Card notes its high obesity rates and lack of exercise contribute to the state’s high incidence of diabetes and heart disease. Its high tobacco use also raises the risk of almost all cancer types.
Kentucky – Third Unhealthiest
The Bluegrass State has a life expectancy of only 73.5. Not surprisingly, it has both the nation’s highest cancer rate and the highest percentage of adults who do not get regular exercise at 84.7 percent. Kentucky’s drug overdose rate is the fourth highest in the nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds that obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco, drug and alcohol use, poor sleep habits and improper diet severely undermine the state’s overall health levels.
Louisiana – Second Unhealthiest
Louisiana residents on average don’t expect to live long lives with the state’s average life expectancy setting up at 73.1 years. It has the nation’s third-highest drug overdose rate, notably high tobacco use and high rates of diabetes and cancer. On top of these grim statistics, 40 percent of the population is obese and 20 percent live in poverty. Louisiana’s healthcare system also ranks a dismal 46 in the nation. If all this isn’t bad enough, its factories release over three times the national average of toxins per square mile.
West Virginia – The Worst
The Mountain State has the dubious honor of being the least healthy state in the union. It has one of the nation’s shortest life expectancies at 73.9 years, which comes against the national average of 76.6 years. It also leads the country in mental illness drug overdose deaths, obesity and tobacco use. West Virginia also ranks second for cancer and third for diabetes. Poverty, inadequate government support of health care and poor air quality all contribute to the state’s health woes. West Virginia also has the nation’s second lowest per capita Gross National Product (GNP) coupled with the nation’s worst-ranked healthcare system.
Eyes Up:
Would you avoid living in a state because of its poor health background? Let us know at info@wellwellusa.com.
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