The United Health Foundation just released their annual America's Health Rankings for 2012.
See the list >
The good news: As a whole, Americans are living longer
The bad news: A growing number of unhealthy habits threatens our quality of life.
The study looks at several factors including smoking, obesity, alcohol use, education, health insurance, and public health funding.
Even the nation's healthiest state for the sixth year in a row, Vermont, is dealing with some challenges like high binge drinking among adults.
Some of the worst states featured here deal with an adult population in which 30 percent are obese, about 30 percent smoke, about 20 percent binge drink, and over 35 percent are living a sedentary lifestyle.
#24 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania teeters on the edge of being a relatively healthy state that has moved down two spots from last year, but their stats still look pretty bad.
- 22.4 percent of adults smoke
- 18.3 percent of adults binge drink
- 28.6 percent of adults are obese
- 26.2 percent of adults live a sedentary lifestyle
- 80.5 of incoming ninth graders will graduate high school
- 10.9 percent of the population does not have health insurance
Source: United Health Foundation
#23 South Dakota
This was a particularly bad year for South Dakota. The state moved up 8 spots since last year toward most unhealthiest state.
- 23 percent of adults smoke
- 22.1 percent of adults binge drink
- 28.1 percent of adults are obese
- 27 percent of adults live a sedentary lifestyle
- 81.7 of incoming ninth graders will graduate high school
- 13 percent of the population does not have health insurance
Source: United Health Foundation
#22 Alaska
Alaska is usually thought of as being full of active people who ice-fish and scale glaciers, but that's not so true anymore:
- 22.9 percent of adults smoke
- 20.8 percent of adults binge drink
- 27.4 percent of adults are obese
- 22 percent of adults live a sedentary lifestyle
- 72.6 of incoming ninth graders will graduate high school
- 18.2 percent of the population do not have health insurance
Source: United Health Foundation
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