WV RANKS LAST IN GALLUP/HEALTHWAYS WELL-BEING POLL FOR SIXTH YEAR

(10/14/2015)

Gallup and Healthways have provided their latest national daily pulse of individual and collective health and wellbeing, a project since 2008. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is the Dow Jones of health, the largest collection of data related to the health and wellbeing of large populations ever assembled. The State of West Virginia West Virginia has ranked last for the sixth straight year. The projected cost of American healthcare by 2017 has been estimated at over $4 trillion. At least 50% of these costs will be due to preventable disease, including diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and strokes. For the sixth consecutive year, West Virginia and Kentucky have the lowest well-being in the United States, ranking 50th and 49th, respectively. Other states that have appeared in the bottom ten all seven years are Arkansas, Ohio and Mississippi. Five essential elements of well-being: Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security Community: liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride in your community Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily Top Five Best States Well Being: Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana. Top Five Worst States Well Being: West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Mississippi. West Virginia has consistently been near or at the bottom of the 50 states with obesity and health problems, mostly related to bad habits. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index should lead community leaders, policy makers, and employers to make decisions positively affecting the health and wellbeing of millions of people.

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