Boston - One of the continuing topics of conversation in the United States is health care and how to make sure that all Americans have adequate access to health care. Recent studies have shown that even though there have been efforts to increase the public’s health, and spread the availability of health care, there has been little positive impact from all of these efforts. There is still a gap between the healthy and the unhealthy in the United States and so far all efforts to close that gap have been unsuccessful.In 2008 the United Health Foundation released its 19th annual findings for the healthiest states in the country and the results are very interesting. The healthiest state in the country is Vermont while the unhealthiest state is Louisiana. If you look at the factors used in determining the rankings it may help understand these results.
As everyone knows, Louisiana is a state that has been ripped by natural disasters in the past few years. To add to their problems with Mother Nature Louisiana has the highest rate of childhood obesity in the country. Louisiana also has the highest percentage of uninsured children in the United States. On the surface it can be said that Louisiana may benefit from some education about the proper diet for a child and possibly a state funded health insurance program for children, but a deeper look might help make the situation a little clearer.
Vermont, the healthiest state in the country, is also a state with one of the highest median incomes in the country while Louisiana, the unhealthiest state in the country, has one of the lowest median incomes in the United States. Of course median income is only one factor in the causes of an unhealthy state like Louisiana. Better diet education and making child health care a priority for public officials are also needed in Louisiana, but in a world where everything costs money it can be difficult to create a healthy environment without the proper resources.
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