The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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November 21, 2009

Oklahoma ranks 49th on the nation’s healthiest states list

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By Joe Malan, Staff Writer

For the third year in a row, Oklahoma has been ranked near the bottom of a list that ranks the healthiest states.

This year, Oklahoma has been ranked 49th in overall health, according to America’s Health Rankings, a yearly report put together by the United Health Foundation.

The only state not healthier than Oklahoma is Mississippi — a state traditionally at the bottom of the list.

Oklahoma matched its all time low mark on the list, since the first year it was put together in 1990. The state hit 49th in 2007. It was up to 47th last year.

There are a few bright spots in an otherwise grim Oklahoma report, according to the United Health Foundation. The group says there is a “low prevalence of binge drinking” in the state — only 12.3 percent of the population does it. Also, Oklahoma is said to have “strong public health funding” of $100 per person.

But the good seems to end there. The United Health Foundation says 24.7 percent of the population smokes.

Also, nearly 31 percent of Oklaho-mans are obese. In 1990, that number was only 11.6 percent.

The rankings are based on 22 core measures, or categories, and 16 supplemental categories. Oklahoma is ranked 45th or worst in the following core measures: Preventable Hos-pitalizations, Primary Health Care Physicians (number of), Poor Physical Health Days, Poor Mental Health Days, Cardiovascular Deaths, Prevalence of Obesity and Prevalence of Smoking.

Oklahoma is ranked 45th or worst in the following supplemental measures: Recent Dental Visit, Daily Vegetables and Fruit, Physical Activity, Stroke (percent of population), High Cholesterol (pct.), High Blood Pressure (pct.), and Heart Attack (pct.).

Effect of the family

Linda Yauk, a dietitian at Integris Bass Baptist Health Center, sees a clear cause behind Oklahoma being consistently ranked as one of the unhealthiest states in the nation.

“The (lifestyle) that we have (was) started a lot of times when we’re children,” she said. “Maybe, based on our economic status, we don’t sit down with our families and eat meals.

“I think it’s important that family really eat together because a lot more happens than just a nutrition conversation.”

Yauk said when a family gets together to eat, and even cook together, it helps everyone in the family to slow down and realize what they’re putting in their bodies, and perhaps how they can improve that.

It carries over to other health habits too, she said, like helping to regulate “psychological” hunger.

“(Watching what we eat) helps us sit down, take a deep breath, be thankful of what we have, and enjoy the company of those around us,” she said.

“It’s a deeper issue than just making food choices.”

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