Almost every day, there are new indicators, indices and rankings of health, healthcare and well-being being published. But how do these relate together? “Working together” shows how three of the major compilations, all relying on sound public data that is collected and reviewed by public health professionals, can be used with each other. The “crosswalk” shows how metrics within Healthy People 2020, America’s Health Rankings, and County Health Rankings and Roadmaps can be used together to learn more about our country, our states and our counties, respectively.
Take Action For Health
Our health is impacted by a combination of individual choices, our environment, public policy and clinical care.
For over 20 years, America’s Health Rankings® has been tracking the state of our nation’s health by studying numerous health measures to compile a comprehensive perspective on our nation’s health issues, state by state.
Search the rankings to discover little known facts and statistics, and find out how you can take action and become an advocate for improving our nation’s health.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Sedentary Lifestyle is the percentage of adults who report doing no physical activity or exercise (such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking) other than their regular job in the last 30 days. The percentage of sedentary adults ranges from 36 percent of the adult population in Mississippi to 16.5 percent in Colorado. The national median is 26.2 percent.
Regular physical activity is one of the most important elements of a healthy lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and premature death.
On the Front Lines: Celebrating America’s Public Health Professionals
REED V. TUCKSON, M.D.
Medical Advisor, United Health Foundation
Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs, UnitedHealth Group
It is almost impossible in today’s world to avoid a news story or conversation about some health-related issue or another. It seems that each day brings reports of a new “scientific discovery”; a “lifesaving technological innovation”; escalating concerns about the cost of health care; or the myriad details concerning health policy challenges and legislative choices associated with expanding access to health care for our nation’s citizens. Unfortunately, too often lost and taken for granted in the maze of all this is the essential efforts of the 450,000 public health professionals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to promote health and prevent disease. Despite their hard work, support for our nation’s vital public health infrastructure at the federal, state, and local levels may be at risk and, as a result, so too is the health and the financial wellbeing of our nation. According to recent reports by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, public health . . .
Obesity in America
Obesity is the percentage of the adult population estimated to be obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher. The prevalence of obesity ranges from 20.7 percent of the adult population in Colorado to 34.9 percent of the adult population in Mississippi. The national median of obese adults is 27.8 percent. This means that more than one in four adults are obese in the United States – that is more than 66 million adults with a body mass index of 30.0 or higher. Obesity is one of the greatest health threats to the U.S. It contributes significantly to a variety of serious diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers as well as poor general health. Obesity is a leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., and the direct medical costs associated with obesity in 2008 were estimated at $147 billion.
Smoking in America
Smoking measures the percentage of the population over age 18 who smoke tobacco products regularly. It is defined as the percentage of adults who self-report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and who currently smoke every day or some days. The national median of regular smokers is 21.2 percent of adults. The percentage of the adult population who smokes varies from a low of 11.8 percent in Utah to 29.0 percent in Kentucky.
Smoking has a very well documented adverse impact on overall health. It is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Smoking damages nearly every organ in the body and causes many diseases, including respiratory disease, heart disease, stroke, cancer, preterm birth, low birthweight, and premature death. Smoking is a lifestyle behavior that an individual can directly influence with support from the community and, as required, clinical intervention.
