EON

New York – Mardi Gras parades, drinking, Cajun food, and debauchery are images conjured up when one thinks of Louisiana, which could be why it ranked last as the most unhealthiest state, according to the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention advocacy group. Its 19th annual state-by-state rankings reported that Louisiana actually fell from 49th to 50th, replacing Mississippi last year.

But this southern state was not alone – its sister states of South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Nevada rounded out the bottom 10.

The southern region clearly led in obesity (at least 31% of Louisianians are obese), which is a major contributor to hearth disease, stroke, and diabetes. Second to obesity, high rates of smoking, which causes cancer, lung disease, heart disease and other health problems compounded to the low healthy rating.

Louisiana also suffered from child poverty, premature and infant deaths, and cancer-related deaths, while one- fifth Louisianans lacked health insurance.

On the flip side, Vermont topped the rankings as the healthiest state for the second consecutive year. With the exception of Hawaii, mostly northern states ranked in the top ten – New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Utah, and Idaho.

Vermont’s 22 percent obesity rate was four points below the national average with the third-highest public health spending program. Colorado had the lowest obesity rate at 19 percent.

Unfortunately, Louisiana seems to the United States’ poster child when compared to other industrialized nations when it comes to infant deaths, life expectancy, and our overall health care system.