Minnesota and New Hampshire are tied as the healthiest states in the country! Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi are the least healthy states.

The United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association, along with the Partnership for Prevention, released in November the 2003 edition of America’s Health: State Health Rankings 2003. The report is a comprehensive, multidimensional, yearly analysis of the relative healthiness of Americans using information supplied by sources including the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor, and the National Safety Council. It incorporates measures that reflect the decisions made by individuals that affect personal health; the community environment that affects the health of individuals and families; and the policy decisions made by public officials that determine the availability of public health and medical care resources. Components including prevalence of smoking, high school graduation rates, infant mortality rate, and support for public health infrastructure are measured to produce a composite assessment of each state’s health.

The good news: since 1990, the overall healthiness of the nation has improved by 16.9 percent, according to the report (reasons include a 36% decline in motor vehicle deaths, a 34% decrease in infectious disease, a 32% decline in infant mortality, and a 24% decrease in the prevalence of smoking). Despite these gains, there are still important challenges facing the U.S. So, make a commitment to keep health and wellness a priority in your life, including your loved ones and community!

Source: National Wellness Institute