A new study from NiceRX.com names Louisiana as the least healthy state in the union. Even though some of the numbers presented in the survey aren’t as high as other states the matrix named Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana as the three least healthy states.
WWL went to Dr. Dean Smith, the Dean of Public Health for LSU Health New Orleans, for a look at the survey and his thoughts.
His first comments were a little shocking:
“I think it’s easy to look at a report like this and to, in a sense, blame the victim.”
Smith says the survey puts the blame for smoking, obesity, bad health habits, even the consumption of fruits and vegetables on the individual while ignoring surrounding factors:
“And so I think this report serves to highlight issues that we have, but not necessarily what we do to address them and improve in these rankings.”
Smith points out the societal reasons for unhealthy lifestyles as compared to putting the responsibility on the individual alone.
“As if it’s all upon the individual, and I think that misses that we collectively are responsible for one another we collectively as a society can move forward.”
Smith also looks around to see why Louisiana is in the state we’re in.
“We have high rates of obesity, but we also have high rates of food insecurity, lack of access to resources, it’s one of the poorest states.”
Smith says there is a way out of this.
“Sometimes you have to look up stream at the future of our educational, social, and economic wellbeing to get make changes downstream in the items we observe in this particular ranking.”
Changing culture by changing lives of children and teaching them to be better stewards of their health and wellbeing.
