Idaho Ranked 8th in Overall Health and Wellness

Most Americans associate Idaho with potatoes, but what many people don’t know is Idaho actually ranks 8th in overall health and wellness according to the United Health Foundation. Idaho boasts a low rate of infectious disease, a low rate of preventable hospitalizations, low levels of air pollution and a low percentage of children in poverty. Unfortunately, many Idahoans have limited access to primary care and low immunization coverage.

In general, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare presents an extremely thorough website promoting healthy lifestyles. The government-sponsored programs include services targeted towards

• Community health
• Family health
• Diseases and Conditions
• Health Assistance
• Prevention

One example of a federally funded program is the Idaho Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program (HDSP) which helps Idahoans take steps to avoid heart disease and stroke by adopting a healthy lifestyle. This program touts regular exercise and eating healthfully as the secret behind stroke prevention and longevity.

Each year, more than 1,500 Idahoans die from smoking-related diseases. That’s an average of four people a day. Idaho’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (also known as Project Filter) provides funding to health districts and organizations around the state to create programs that prevent tobacco use. Project Filter particularly targets those Idahoans with higher rates of smoking such as 18-24 year-olds, Native Americans, Latinos, homosexuals, and industry and labor workers.

The Idaho Rural Health Association (IRHA) provides state-wide leadership and education on issues related to rural health in Idaho. The mission of the Idaho State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care is to promote access to quality health care for people in Idaho. IRHA meetings focus on personal heath concerns such as substance abuse and smoking cessation as well as the broader topic of health care reform.

Overall, Idaho seems to be doing a commendable job of making wellness programs available to its occupants. Although Idahoans suffer from many of the same health issues prevalent throughout the U.S. (heart disease, stroke, and cancer) they benefit from dozens of state-funded programs related to disease prevention and wellness.

Hawaii: Stop Smoking and Start Living Healthy!

Hawaii is perhaps best known for its sandy beaches and ocean breezes, but not only tourists enjoy the Big Island. Surfing is always popular among the locals and general outdoor activity is widespread as Hawaiians take advantage of the friendly weather. Although Minnesota was recently rated the healthiest state, Hawaii has also earned a high overall wellness grade as well.

A 2008 report ranked Hawaii as the second slimmest state after Colorado, but smoking still poses a significant health threat. The Hawaii state Department of Health's website offers tips to increase activity, eat healthfully, and stop smoking. In an effort to influence a greater number of Hawaiians, The Department of Health started the Healthy Hawaii Initiative, funded through the Tobacco Settlement Funds.

In 1975, Hawaii's Prepaid Health Care Act went into effect, making Hawaii the first state to mandate employer-provided medical coverage for employees. This law, as well as government initiatives such as the Hawaii Business Health Council Program helped to encourage wellness among workers and maximize employee health.

Unfortunately, state health initiatives such as the Hawaii Business Health Council often hurt small businesses. Although Hawaiians are generally healthier than the average American, small business owners still feel a financial strain from the mandatory medical coverage they must provide for their employees. Hawaii is the only state in the nation allowed to force companies to pay for insurance for their full-time employees. Health insurance is essential in the event of a medical emergency, however, individuals as well as larger companies might profit from more preventative health measures.

Start Living Healthy is the Hawaii State Department of Health's statewide health promotion campaign. It is an integrative and educational campaign with partnerships in both the private and public sectors. Furthermore, it provides people with information to promote well-being and reduce existing health disparities among ethnic groups in Hawaii.

Health Matters to Georgia Human Resources Department

Initially launched in 2002, Health Matters is a work site wellness program that encourages employees to make positive health changes by offering regular activities related to healthy eating and physical activity. The program was originally offered to the Division of Public Health workers but now is available to all State employees. Examples of the program include:

• Catchy promotional materials placed throughout the building encouraging employees to take the stairs
• Promotional materials for the fresh produce market in the lobby of the building
• A lactation room exists to support breastfeeding after mothers return to work

The goal of Georgia's Health Matters is to encourage management to formally adopt wellness policies that support healthy eating, physical activity, breastfeeding and smoking cessation; implement further environmental changes in the Public Health building; and ultimately expand to other work sites throughout Georgia.

Great start Georgia, but you have a long way to go! Current stats show 34.6 percent of Georgia adults over 18 are overweight, 27.1% of adults over 18 are obese (higher than the national average) and close to 10% of this population has diabetes!

For more information on Georgia's Work site Health Initiatives contact:

Georgia Worksite Health Initiative
Georgia DHR, Division of Public Health
2 Peachtree Street, 16-285Atlanta, GA 30303
404.657.6611