SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah is the second healthiest state in the nation, according to a recently released report.
The United Health Foundation released its 20th annual America's Health Rankings, crediting Utah with the lowest rates in the nation for smoking, cancer deaths, infant mortality and binge drinking.
"The UHF report is the most respected of its kind in the public health world, so to be recognized as the second healthiest state is truly something to be proud of," said Dr. David Sundwall, Utah Department of Health executive director. "However, it doesn't mean we can rest on our laurels. My goal is to be the healthiest state in the nation, and we still have some challenges to address before we can achieve that goal."
The report measures the overall health of the nation on a state-by-state basis. Vermont was ranked No. 1 and Massachusetts, Hawaii and New Hampshire round out the top five. Mississippi came in 50th.
Last year Utah was ranked fifth. This year it also ranked fifth for prevalence of obesity, which continues to climb with 23 percent of Utahns falling into that category.
"I take no comfort in being ranked fifth in the nation for obesity, as it simply means Utahns are not yet getting fat as fast as the rest of the nation is. However, we are on a quick track of getting there," Sundwall said. "Obesity is a significant public health threat to our entire community; my goal is to see a time where our obesity rate actually falls from one year to the next."
Both the Weber-Morgan and Davis County Health Departments provide programs to improve community health.
They include cardiovascular and obesity, tobacco and injury prevention, senior citizen programs and community-based abstinence education.
"We also just hired a Spanish-speaking person in Tobacco, as we have in the abstinence program, to help us reach out to our largest minority community," said Weber-Morgan Health Department spokeswoman Lori Buttars.
Weber-Morgan Health Department Director Gary House said that while the rankings go up and down, there are individuals who struggle with these issues. It usually takes a combination of their individual health care provider, community programs and public health working to combat the issues, he said.
The UHF report also praises Utah for its efforts in preventing infant mortality. The state's rate dropped by 45 percent over the 20 years the health rankings report has been published. The state also received credit for decreasing its rate of uninsured residents.
The UHF cited Utah's limited availability of primary care physicians, high geographic disparity within the state and low public health funding as significant challenges.
"To become the healthiest state in the nation Utah must focus on closing the gap in health disparities, particularly among the state's rapidly growing minority populations," said UDOH Deputy Director Teresa Garrett. "Utah should be a place where all people can enjoy the best health possible."
For a full copy of the report, visit www.americash ealthrankings.org or www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.
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