Louisiana tied for last place in health rankings

Louisiana and Mississippi are tied for last place—49th—in new health rankings released today by the United Health Foundation. Vermont holds the rank of the healthiest state for the sixth year in a row. Although Louisiana’s low ranking is indicative of high rates of obesity and diabetes among residents, the Bayou State actually moved up one spot in the rankings this year, from 50th place last year. Also, this year’s UHF report finds that Louisiana has its share of strengths: a low prevalence of binge drinking and a high rate of immunization coverage. The state’s challenges include the high prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle, a high percentage of children in poverty, a high infant mortality rate, a high prevalence of low infant birth weight, and a high rate of preventable hospitalizations. Ranked at No. 49, Louisiana and Mississippi are preceded by Arkansas, West Virginia and South Carolina in the group of the nation’s five least healthy states. The states that have shown the most improvement in residents’ health are New Jersey, Maryland, Alabama, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Rhode Island. Nationwide, 27.8% of the adult population is obese to some degre. In Louisiana, 33.4% of the population is considered obese. However, obesity affects every state. Even in Colorado, considered the thinnest state in the country, obesity affects one-fifth of the population, according to the UHF report. See the complete rankings here.