New Study Shows Louisiana 3rd Most Unhealthy State In America

After seeing the results of a recent research piece, one could assume that those of us who live in the Bayou State are likely reading this from the doctor's office or a hospital bed.

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So, exactly why would I make this quantum leap to doom and gloom? If indeed these results are any indicator of the health of citizens of Louisiana, the picture is somewhat bleak.

Colorado Is Apparently The Healthiest State in America

The study conducted by lighthousedentalcentre.com found that Colorado is the healthiest state in America. They scored a solid 80 out of 80.  (That's either got to be a product of their "leafy green intake" or maybe it's the Twinkies, but evidently it's working)

Taking a number of factors into account, lighthousedentalcentre.com considered things like air quality, obesity rates, physical activity, prevalent health conditions (like cholesterol, cancer, and coronary heart disease), sleeping patterns, smoking and drinking habits, food consumption, and even the number of adults with all their teeth intact.

Where Did They Come Up With All This Data?

The study included all fifty states and used 13 different criteria from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for evaluation. Each criterion was given a score out of 100, and those scores were then combined and weighted to calculate the final score out of 40 to 80 to keep the study more realistic.

When all the dust settled, only the states of West Virginia and Kentucky were ranked with worse health than those of us in Louisiana.  West Virginia posted an overall score of 40. Kentucky finished with 41.40 and Louisiana wasn't far behind with a dismal 41.80.

What Did Lighthouse Dental Centre Have To Say About Louisiana?

Surmising the findings of their research piece, Lighthouse found Louisiana's overall health concerning.

Louisiana struggles with many adults exhibiting poor sleep hygiene, smoking, binge drinking, unhealthy diets, and suffering from severe health conditions.

Louisiana's Disease-Related Metrics:

• Second lowest life expectancy nationwide: 73.9 years
• Highest prevalence of illness and death from chronic diseases
• Cancer incidence rate: 709.10 per 100,000 residents
• Diabetes rate: 13.2% of adults diagnosed
• Cancer mortality rate: 261.94 deaths per 100,000 residents
• Heart disease mortality rate: 284.49 deaths per 100,000 residents
• Highest rate of drug overdose deaths: 57.13 per 100,000 residents
• Highest smoking rate: 22.80% of adults
• Second highest obesity rate: 39.8% of adults

Based on Louisiana's data, it is concerning to observe that a significant proportion of its adult population, specifically 48.6%, consumes fruits less than once a daily basis. This statistic positions Louisiana at the 48th spot, with a score of 41.8. It is important to address this matter seriously, as it exhibits the highest prevalence among the selected states.

To see the full report, go to lighthousedentalcentre.com