Study Reveals Top 10 Unhealthiest States in America : The Hearty Soul

“The greatest wealth is health,” wrote the Roman poet Virgil over 2,000 years ago, and it still rings true today. People tend to take their good health for granted until they no longer have it. A chronic disease is defined as a condition that stays for at least a year, can interfere with daily life, and needs continuous medical treatment. Unfortunately, six in ten American adults have at least one chronic disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And four in 10 have two diseases or more. Some states in the United States have higher populations of chronic illnesses because of common unhealthy lifestyles.

Forbes Advisor assessed the health of each state’s population by grading them under three categories: disease risk factors and rates, substance abuse, and habits/health outlook. Fortunately, you don’t have to adhere to the habits of the people around you. No matter which state—or country—you live in, you can take charge of your health by creating good habits that can naturally prevent illnesses. 

1. West Virginia

According to Forbes Advisor’s analysis, West Virginia is the most unhealthy state based on the overall health outlook and lifestyle. The Mountain State ranked the highest percentage of adults who smoke and the highest percentage of obesity. It also ranked as the second shorted life expectancy of about 73.9 years. 

When it came to the disease risk and prevalence category, West Virginia ranked second. It had the highest rates of high cholesterol and the highest diabetes mortality rate. It ranked second highest when it came to cancer mortality and kidney disease mortality rates. This state also scored the highest percentage of deaths due to drug overdoses, almost doubling the score of the second-worst state, Delaware.

A similar report by Renew Bariatrics also determined West Virginia as the unhealthiest state. They used a slightly different metric than Forbes but came to similar conclusions. It indicated that this state had the highest rate of tobacco use, the highest percentage of drug overdoses, and the highest percentage of obesity in its population. 

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2. Mississippi

In the disease risk factor category, Mississippi ranks the worst. It has the highest rates of hypertension and people with diabetes. Both of these issues can lead to more serious conditions such as heart attacks and stroke. It also has the highest rate of mortality for multiple diseases, including cancer, kidney disease, stroke, and hypertension. Unfortunately, it has the shortest life expectancy in the U.S. at 73.63 years. And in terms of overall lifestyle and health habits, Mississippi is the second worst after West Virginia.

3. Tennessee

Tennessee has a major opioid epidemic, reporting the largest amount of opioid misuse and prescription pain reliever misuse in the U.S. Furthermore, it ranked third highest when it came to smoking and fifth highest number of deaths due to drug overdoses. It also ranks fourth worst state when it comes to overall health and lifestyle, with high numbers of obese adults, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease mortality, and adults who reported not exercising in the last month. Its residents’ life expectancy is 74.97 years, the sixth shortest in the country.

4. Arkansas

Arkansas landed as the third worst state for disease risk factors. It also has a very high death rate for leading causes of death, including respiratory disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. With a life expectancy of 75.03 years, the people of this state hold second place for the highest amount of opioid misuse and prescription pain reliever misuse.

5. Kentucky

Kentucky ranks sixth for both categories of disease risk factors and lifestyle habits. Noteworthy rankings include the third-highest rate of both cancer mortality and drug overdoses. Plus, there are high rates of adults who smoke, have diabetes, and have high blood pressure, as well as high death rates of people with diabetes and people with respiratory disease. Additionally, it had the fourth shortest life expectancy of 74.77 years.

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The Top Ten Unhealthiest States

The analysis continues similarly for the next five unhealthy states, all of which scored high on the disease risk factors and rates, substance abuse, and habits/health outlook categories. They are:

6. Alabama

7. Louisiana

8. Oklahoma

9. Ohio

10. Indiana

The Top 5 Healthiest States

As the antitheses to the previous list, these states scored low when it came to disease risk factors and boasted healthy lifestyle habits. Remember, anyone can improve their lifestyle and lower their risk of illness, no matter where they live. With that in mind, the healthiest states are:

1. Hawaii

2. Utah

3. Connecticut

4. Minnesota

5. Massachusetts

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