How Fat are Virginians? (Pretty Darn Fat)
Report: The Northern Virginia Health Foundation analyzed the health of Northern Virginians. How does your neighborhood stack up?
http://fallschurch.patch.com/articles/report-virginians-live-longer-but-outweigh-fellow-americans
If you live in Virginia, odds are that you're nearly as fat as the average American.
A report issued by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation (NVHF) found that 62 percent of Virginians are overweight or clinically obese, 35 percent of Virginians had high cholesterol and about 30 percent had high blood pressure.
The findings are part of a larger study that ranks Northern Virginia counties and cities using factors such as maternal and infant health as well as rates of mortality, obesity, preventable hospitalization and other health-risk factors.
More unpleasant news: Many Northern Virginians aren't going to the dentist as often as they should. The report shows that more than 400,000 adults in the area haven't been to the dentist in the last two years. Many said they received dental care only in emergencies and were able to take perfectly good care of their own teeth.
The news on weight is even worse for teens. According to the report, 28 percent of Virginia’s teens between the ages of 14 and 22 are overweight or obese. In the Northern Virginia region, more than 46,000 young people were classified as overweight.
Thirty percent of Virginia's teens said they had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, and 25 percent said they had felt depression for more than two weeks in a row.
And while Virginia adults are apparently living longer -- an average age of 78.5 -- they are also more frequently foregoing health care. According to 2010 data in the report, 18 percent of adults in Virginia between the ages of 18 and 64 didn't have health insurance.
Report: The Northern Virginia Health Foundation analyzed the health of Northern Virginians. How does your neighborhood stack up?
http://fallschurch.patch.com/articles/report-virginians-live-longer-but-outweigh-fellow-americans
If you live in Virginia, odds are that you're nearly as fat as the average American.
A report issued by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation (NVHF) found that 62 percent of Virginians are overweight or clinically obese, 35 percent of Virginians had high cholesterol and about 30 percent had high blood pressure.
The findings are part of a larger study that ranks Northern Virginia counties and cities using factors such as maternal and infant health as well as rates of mortality, obesity, preventable hospitalization and other health-risk factors.
More unpleasant news: Many Northern Virginians aren't going to the dentist as often as they should. The report shows that more than 400,000 adults in the area haven't been to the dentist in the last two years. Many said they received dental care only in emergencies and were able to take perfectly good care of their own teeth.
The news on weight is even worse for teens. According to the report, 28 percent of Virginia’s teens between the ages of 14 and 22 are overweight or obese. In the Northern Virginia region, more than 46,000 young people were classified as overweight.
Thirty percent of Virginia's teens said they had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, and 25 percent said they had felt depression for more than two weeks in a row.
And while Virginia adults are apparently living longer -- an average age of 78.5 -- they are also more frequently foregoing health care. According to 2010 data in the report, 18 percent of adults in Virginia between the ages of 18 and 64 didn't have health insurance.