New England: Democratic, Secular, Healthy. The South: Not so much

[BurtWorm]

These are facts. It's tempting, of course, to draw correlations. It's tempting for New Englanders to gloat. Having grown up in Maine and lived in Massachusetts and Connecticut, I can't help but feel proud of New England.

But having spent lots of time in Arkansas, Florida, Virginia and Tennessee, I can honestly say I love the South and Southern culture--minus the wreckage slave culture wrought. In fact, I would argue that the main reason the South is so fucked up in terms of its health and religion and politics is precisely because of its heritage being steeped in slave culture. That should not be controversial.

:think:

PS: I should also mention that some of the South's dysfunction no-doubt is a by-product of "The War of Northern Aggression."


http://health.yahoo.com/featured/67/the-healthiest-and-unhealthiest-states/

The Healthiest and Unhealthiest States.
More from Forbes.com


By Rebecca Ruiz

States in New England top a new set of rankings, while the South still lags.

If you want to be healthy, live in Vermont--or at least act like you do. It is the healthiest state in the country, according to a new report from the nonprofit United Health Foundation.

The annual ranking looks at 22 indicators of health, including everything from how many children receive recommended vaccinations, to obesity and smoking rates, to cancer deaths. (The foundation is funded by the insurer UnitedHealth Group.)

Vermont ranked first this year thanks in part to its low rate of obesity, high number of doctors and a low rate of child poverty. New England in general sets a benchmark for the country, the report found: All six New England states are in the top 10. These states have favorable demographics and an excellent public health infrastructure, including a large number of doctors per capita.

Eight of the 10 bottom-ranked states are from the south, with Mississippi coming in dead last for the ninth consecutive year. Mississippi has a sky-high death rate from heart disease and high infant mortality. In general, residents of these states are more likely to be smokers or to be obese, the report found. They also have worse health insurance coverage, fewer physicians per capita and live in areas with high violent crime and more child poverty.

UnitedHealth Group Executive Vice President Dr. Reed Tuckson says the report is meant to draw attention to public health issues, particularly the twin challenges of smoking and obesity. While the smoking rate has decreased in the past 20 years, nearly one in five Americans still smoke. More than one-quarter of American adults suffer from obesity, a condition that the report estimated will cost $344 billion in annual health care costs by 2018. "We are about to deliver a tsunami of preventable chronic illness that will come pouring into the medical care delivery system," says Reed.

[T Wolf]

1. Wonder if they charge higher premiums in the "sick" states. It also looks like those

most against health care for their fellow Americans will use up the most of that health care when/if it finally comes.

And still, they are fighting it using every lie spewed by the pukes and the media.

[WI_DEM]

2. Where does the article write about religion? or non-religion?

[BurtWorm]

3. It was in the news a few weeks ago that New England is the most secular region of the country.

The Northwest is also higly blue and highly secular. I don't know about health, but I suspect, it's in line with New England.

[FightingIrish]

4. How does the right refute the obvious correlation between politics and health.

With the exception of Utah, the healthiest states are blue and the least healthy are red. Poverty and education are probably factors that affect both politics and health. I'd like to see a map that illustrates this link.

[Taverner]

5. I think the fundies in the South who don't believe in science are skewing this poll

:P