Here are some findings from 2011 America’s Heath Rankings by United Health Group, a leading health care company.

Vermont is the healthiest state in the nation. Their strengths are: a high rate of high school graduation, a low violent crime rate, a low rate of infectious disease, a high usage of early prenatal care, high per capita public health funding, a low rate of uninsured population and ready availability of primary care physicians.

Pennsylvania is ranked 26th. Our strengths and challenges are as follows:

Strengths:
• Low rate of uninsured population (11% lack health insurance; MA is lowest in country, with 5% uninsured.)
• High rate of high school graduation
• Ready availability of primary care physicians (128 per 100,000 of population)

Challenges:
• High levels of air pollution
• Low per capita public health funding
• High prevalence of diabetes

Across the country, and in PA, fewer smokers, but more obese people. Here’s a comparison of PA with the US on two issues (in the figures that follow, the darker line corresponds to PA, the lighter one to the country):

Fewer people are smoking …

No. of smokers as percent of population fell from about 30% in 1990 to 18% in 2011.

…but obesity has risen sharply.

Obesity rates in PA have risen from about 12% in 1990 to 30% in 2011.

Source: http://www.americashealthrankings.org/SiteFiles/Statesummary/PA.pdf

Note:
Smokers will find it more difficult to get a job. Smoking rates may decline further if other companies follow in Geisenger’s steps: “Geisinger will stop hiring smokers,” http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2826547/posts