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Health care in the U.S. has been a hot topic all year, but how healthy are we as a country? Dr. Manny finds out which states are the most and least he...
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Hello welcome to -- -- I'm Dr.
Manny.
From coast to coast health care has been a hot topic in America but which state is the most or the least healthy.
And how -- that in full play a role on the health of our nation will today we're gonna find out you know I mean now has got to read talks in chief of medical affairs for UnitedHealth Group.
With that data out from the UnitedHealth group's foundation annual health ranking survey that's a lot of words -- -- Very interest in this is I think the second year that we've done this interview with you here.
Let's compare.
A couple of things from last year.
-- interest that there are certain ailments that are better very prevalent we keep talking about not being obese city.
And that diabetes and smoking.
Let's look at those three how did we do in the last Saturday.
What we're finding across the country is that the prevalence of people smoking tobacco is probably leveled off that we've made a few games last year.
And we think perhaps that we are probably just sort of keeping keeping steady that's not particularly good news tonight because we know that now they're still about 21% of the American people are still smoking tobacco with even more frightening is.
A thousand kids.
-- day right that I was gonna get that because you know we were talking before we started show about teenagers and one of the things that drives me crazy.
Is the rate of teen smoking.
And also the thing that has me worried is also that we have -- -- were using all their source of tobacco you know.
-- like -- New York you can't smoke in public places but yet Pete Boris getting that the you know that the chewing tobacco.
Got chewing tobacco they've got new things that look like those little bit Brett missed the desire when your -- right renowned nicotine and thanks for that and I just went down to the Centers for Disease Control just the last couple of days ago.
And they showed me new ways in which -- giving nicotine to kids by putting a patch between their hopes.
That allowed -- to be of sorts of the kids are getting nicotine high even in the middle school and nobody else so.
That that's problematic as we got to do better there.
What about diabetes and obesity -- diabetes we are continuing to increase the incidence of diabetes and the reason in large measures because we continue to increase the rate of obesity.
In fact now there is no state in our country with less than 20% of its population obese and that really is becoming more than frightening and what we do not see.
-- we're not we're not turning those statistics around and that bodes very poorly.
For diseases -- -- what do you think medical factors that are influence that statistic from going up because of people.
They don't care is -- that.
The understanding of nutrition hasn't gotten to the people's brain is -- that people are eating fast food I mean.
I think you I think you hit a ball but -- all of those issues I think the thing that most worries me is.
We're just not paying attention we're becoming lazy written literally lazy that in that we are not taking the time to eat properly because of all the purple prevalence of fast food.
We don't take the time to read the label and what we're not doing is we're not taking the time to exercise in fact.
One of the most frightening statistics that we have for this year is that 26%.
Of the American people are not getting any exercise.
Outside of just going to work.
So that number is very very high.
We've got to have people decide now to get invested in their lives.
Of winning it I want to go back to that in a second but let's let's tell viewers because this is that we put everybody wants to hear I guess.
Tell me what other states that are the least healthy.
The least healthy unfortunately are at the bottom of the list a tie for forty ninth -- that is of Louisiana.
And Mississippi they're the ones that are struggling the most.
That states that are doing the best -- wealthiest.
Vermont.
Hawaii.
New Hampshire.
Massachusetts and then at number five minutes -- So very similar to -- here.
Very similar to it to last year did anybody improve Ford did worse than that you kind of statistically expect no it's actually very interesting in terms of the states that have been making the biggest change the biggest movement new Jersey's moving up which is my state terrific thank you about Maryland moved up.
Alabama moved up which is important because obviously it's in that.
But right poorer southern socially economically challenged here.
And so they moved up Oklahoma moved up and so again but I states that aren't economically as well off as others so what that shows us this.
It is possible for states to actually get health.
All right so I want to bring this around a little bit to a political.
Arena.
Recently the president got reelected.
His health reform law -- now does this mandate of the land.
When when when we were analyzing -- criticizing or looking at the pros and cons of the Obama care.
-- a lot of emphasis on of course coverage bring people recovery and reducing the cost of health care which is the two Montrose that everybody.
-- after.
I did not hear a lot about.
Out cops.
Did not hear a lot.
About -- Now.
You are in this business of not only looking at the data put in the did together did the foundation is one of the premier foundations in the country for gathering this kind of data.
Are you going to hold the president's feet to the fire.
When it comes to out -- Well here's what I would say and I think this is a really important issue we've got a hold everybody's feet to the fire.
As important as getting universal access to health insurance for all Americans and it is and arguably he says it's important a 100% we will save more lives reduce death.
And misery by a much greater margin if we can focus.
On deep on certain key risk factors -- -- that you mentioned can we get folks to eat properly to exercise right you know all those things that those things -- -- described.
They are more important.
In terms of decreasing mortality that insurance as important as insurance it yet and what that means then is if we're going to be successful.
The president has to do war the congress has to do more but we got to do more in our communities our families our churches civic associations and you know we've got to do better as individual.
So I think so too I mean and that's I mean that that's the whole key because you know for -- you know you look at school program throughout the country would call me that we talked about -- it.
Deficiencies and education are different levels of different states and I get the whole thing we've got to do better academically but you look at you know physical.
Sports in many schools is not there.
You go to schools -- -- tell you will we don't have any resource.
Well if we're gonna spend the money.
I would argue that physical education school is part of health care.
Absolutely it's -- no and we've got to bring that you know.
You know what I'm trying to say is I think that statistics you know you know I love to see every year and I love to talk about the statistics who did that it would that works.
But I the other day I wanna get to a point where I can say okay everybody has health insurance.
People are getting covered.
Doctors are being told to do a better job but we gotta make sure that we measure that actually and and we get to that place so we need to get in the -- So just make sure that one point discus completely understood by your audience in this is something that just doesn't get talked about.
The cost of insurance is -- of course continued to increase medical care becomes more complex and more back more costly.
What we are doing is driving and a huge amount of preventable chronic illness.
Into a delivery system that we already are having trouble right -- -- forward right and so if we don't turn off that stick it.
A preventable disease we will go bankrupt but no state could possibly waited for their Medicaid no federal government could afford it for -- better care.
No private employers and certainly no small business owner could afford the health care bill.
Of the medical cause of preventable chronic -- This is a national crisis and call two alarm and that means we've got to get motivated at every level in our society.
All right -- you putting a challenge out there.
Absolutely -- any challenge to the people you put a challenge for the city -- put a challenge to the states and it's a challenge for the future of our nation you've got.
All right well thank you so much this is great information.
And very important information because of the end of the day is like the -- said.
If we don't make a difference in our lives we are not going to be able to fix anything at the end of the day in -- all right thank you so much.
And if you have any health questions you can email me your fox -- Dr.
-- -- foxnews.com.
That's watching for Fox News about him it.
