How New York State (and Oneida County) Rank When It Comes to Health

As a nation, our body issues weigh heavy on our minds. TV shows like My 600-Pound Life and The Biggest Loser have captured our conscience. A story line on one of the most popular dramas, This Is Us, focuses on the weight issues of one of its main characters.

Mariah Carey announced she's getting weight reduction surgery. Obese comedian Ralphie May made a living by joking about his girth, but recently passed away at 45.

WalletHub has released its list of 2017's Fattest States in America. The news could be worse for New York, but it could be better.

The health news is more serious for Oneida County, which ranks only 43rd out of 61 New York State counties, as measured by countyhealthrankings.org.

Breaking information into sub-categories measuring consumption of vegetables, sugary beverages, regular exercise, blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and other factors, then arriving at an overall score, New York is better than average.

The Empire State's population ranks as the 35th Fattest out of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. The good news is we're not Mississippi or West Virginia, which rank worst. The bad news: Colorado and Massachusetts are kickin' our collective large butts.

The solution is age-old: Eat less. Eat smarter. Our stores and restaurants are filled with healthy options. Our New York State farms provide us with bountiful crops. Move more. Whether it's at home, at work, in the Adirondacks, whatever. No excuses.

Bottom line: New York State needs to improve against other U.S. states and Oneida County really needs to get it in gear compared to other counties in New York.

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