Tennesseans should remember importance of healthy lifestyle
The news just keeps getting worse for Tennessee. This time, it came in the form of a report on state health from the Minnesota-based United Health Foundation.
According to the report, Southern states occupied 11 of the bottom 12 spots in the survey. Worse, Tennessee ranked in the bottom three, along with Louisiana and Mississippi.
The UHF survey looked at personal behaviors such as obesity, smoking and motor vehicle deaths; health policies such as prenatal care and public health spending; and other factors such as violent crime, infectious disease cases, work-related deaths and child poverty. The three healthiest states in the survey were Minnesota, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Factors that contribute to Tennesseans’ poor health include poor lifestyle choices, a high number of people living in poverty and a high number of people who are undereducated. Even economic development is a factor.
Improving Tennesseans’ health will take a coordinated effort on several different fronts. Schools should place a renewed emphasis on health and how to make informed food choices. Schools that haven’t already also should reinstate mandatory, daily physical education.
Gov. Phil Bredesen should use the bully pulpit his office provides to help raise the public’s awareness about the importance of good health. He should point out that tending to your health not only improves your quality of life, but in the long run, saves money. And he should continue his efforts to improve education, and to raise people out of poverty through increased economic development.
Tennessee’s showing is an embarrassment. It should serve as a wake-up call to those with an interest in helping Tennesseans live healthier, happier lives.