Hawaii is back on top, as it should be. The Aloha State was recently ranked as the healthiest state in United Health Foundation’s 2013 America’s Health Rankings. The last time Hawaii was No. 1 was in 2008, said Dr. Ronald
Hawaii is back on top, as it should be.
The Aloha State was recently ranked as the healthiest state in United Health Foundation’s 2013 America’s Health Rankings.
The last time Hawaii was No. 1 was in 2008, said Dr. Ronald Y. Fujimoto, chief medical officer for the UnitedHealthCare’s Community Plan for Hawaii. Hawaii ranked second last year, with Vermont taking the top spot. This year, Mississippi is ranked as the least healthy state.
“We are definitely leading the nation as being the healthiest state,” Fujimoto said.
Credit must go to the late Loretta Fuddy, the state’s director of health who died last week following a plane crash into the ocean off Molokai.
She put Hawaii on the course toward good health with this simple message in the 2013-2020 Hawaii Physical Activity and Nutrition Plan: “Healthy eating and physical activity, along with living tobacco free, are protective behaviors from weight gain and chronic disease,” Fuddy wrote.
She knew the benefits of good health couldn’t be emphasized enough. Besides the savings in medical expenses, the more fit one is, the more they can get out and enjoy this island’s many trails, beaches and water sports.
Workers who have good health tend to be more productive than those who are ailing. Healthier states that spend less money on corrective care can spend more on preventive measures. The domino effect begins with us at home. Don’t smoke. Drink in moderation. Exercise 30 minutes a day.
Kauai’s leaders have done their share to promote wellness.
Get Fit Kauai, led by Bev Brody, has taken up a lead role to encourage nutrition and physical activity.
Hawaii State Department of Health, with Rachelle Bachran as its public health educator, is leading the charge on staying strong.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s Mayor-a-thon, which marked its fifth year in July, fosters walking, running, biking — pretty much anything that gets folks moving.
The Kauai Marathon, led by Jeff Sacchini, has helped ignite the island running community.
And don’t forget a group known as “Kauai Divas and Dudes” that has members out there enjoying exercise.
These are just some of the people and agencies involved in keeping Kauai on the road to good health.
The Aloha State’s ranking over the years has varied from first to sixth in the United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings.
Hawaii stands out for leading the nation in public health funding at $225 per person and for an 80.2-percent immunization rate for children, according to the report.
The report notes that 14.6 percent of adults in Hawaii smoke, an improvement in the past year from 16.8 percent. Nationally, 19.6 percent of adults smoke. Hawaii has one of the lowest obesity rates at 23.6 percent, compared with 27.6 percent nationally.
Despite Hawaii’s top ranking, there’s room for improvement, Fujimoto said. Hawaii faces unhealthy challenges, including high rates of binge drinking and salmonella infections.
We should heed the advice of Fuddy and not be complacent. She said we can do better and she was right. We can turn off the TV and get out more. We can get off the couch and go for a walk on Ke Ala Hele Makalae. We can give up the junk food and opt for fruits and vegetables. We can be examples for our children.
Let’s keep working to achieve the vision she had: “Healthy People, Healthy Communities, Healthy Hawaii.”
And let’s keep Hawaii the healthiest state next year.
