With resolutions for the new year on the horizon, Illinois residents may be challenged when it comes to health.
In a recent report from the United Health Foundation, Hawaii nabbed the top spot, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Utah. “A rank means that you overall are healthier than the states below you in the rank and are overall less healthy than the states above you in the rank,” said Dr. Rhonda Randall.
Floating at the bottom of the health pool are Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Illinois got edged out of the top half of the list, coming in at #26. As a state, we’ve seen obesity increase 15% in the past six years. Other factors led to our ranking, including things like a 10% increase in mental health providers and a spike in meningococcal immunizations for adolescents.
