Skip to main content

Las Vegas Ranked One Of The Unhealthiest Cities In America

New York New York hotel on the Strip
A recently conducted study that focused on overall health and wellness of metropolitan cities has deemed Las Vegas as one of the unhealthiest cities in the United States. Further research points to an increased risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease for residents of Las Vegas, as well as other cities that ranked similarly for overall health.

Well, Just How Bad Did Las Vegas Rank?

As reported by ABC Channel 13 Action NewsLas Vegas placed 39th on the American Fitness Index in terms of health and wellness. Before you get too excited, 50 is the total number of cities analyzed in the study, which means Las Vegas is sitting 11th from the absolute bottom. A list compiled by the American College of Sports Medicine ranked the top 50 ‘metropolitan’ cities according to levels of chronic disease conditions, preventive health measures, healthcare access and "community resources and policies that encourage healthy and fit lifestyles." Las Vegas scored a 41.1 out of a possible 100 points, and scored only 40 the previous year
. The survey also cited health improvement priorities, including an unusually high mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease. Some factors that may be contributing to this extremely high number are a lower percent of residents with health insurance, fewer farmers' markets, a high smoking percentage, and fewer primary healthcare facilities per capita. The only cities to have performed worse than Las Vegas were: Tampa, Birmingham, Houston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Memphis, Louisville, San Antonio, Detroit and Oklahoma City. You can view the complete list here, if you so desire.

Okay. What Does This Mean for Las Vegas Residents?

A study recently done by Gallup Poll indicated that those living in cities with overall unhealthy ratings are at much greater risk of heart attacks than those living in cities where health and fitness are community priorities. Risk factors considered "widely present" in unhealthy cities such as Las Vegas include smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, excessive alcohol use, excessive stress and high cholesterol. It will probably be very difficult for Las Vegas, the “city of sin”, to shy away from some of these behaviors; namely the smoking and alcohol use.

So How Can We Improve Our Ranking?

Luckily there are ways to improve our overall health without having to forego “the fun stuff”. The Well Being Index suggests that Las Vegas and other unhealthy cities work to create a culture that focuses on physical health and wellness, starting at a young age. Providing education on heart disease and cardiovascular issues through school programs is an excellent starting point to reach our younger residents. Offering individual health consultations for students is also a great option for stressing the importance of cardiovascular wellness to our youth. City leaders, local businesses and other local dignitaries are highly encouraged to get involved with these programs to take steps towards improving community health as well.
Let's work together to improve the health of our community! Leading by example is a great way to get through to your friends, family, colleagues, and even complete strangers. There are plenty of available resources to help Las Vegas get back on the right track.
Jessica Bailey is a freelance writer and nursing student who writes for a variety of health blogs. She gets much of her heart health information and inspiration from the heart surgeons at CVsurgnv.com. Jessica currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How To Free Yourself From A Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is surrounded by a cloud of misconception. It is nearly impossible for someone who has not suffered with an addiction themselves to understand just how difficult it is to deal with. When you have a dependency to drugs, the effects are physical, psychological, social, and emotional. It affects every aspect of your life, and hangs a cloud of misery over your head. But the worst part about it is just how trapped you feel. The minute you start to get addicted to drugs, you check in your free will and many of the best parts of your personality, and you start to try to find the parts of yourself that you lost, through drugs. Getting over such a tough addiction is even harder to deal with, but anyone can do it if they put in enough work, and receive a lot of help. Here are some basic tips to get you started on the road to recovery. Recognize the Signs Before you can get help, you have to figure out the extent of your problem. You might believe that you don’t have a problem. ...

Forex and exchange and currency trading

Forex and exchange and currency trading We also note the foreign exchange Tmad every day on more than  TONGS businessmen and 8% of men neglect leave their jobs And Adechlo profit vox and Tdool Currency Alajunbahoajml Xi Forex  Illusions its size forex market and profit potential of its simplicity ment means good Alsahlh   And when he thinks anyone in vox and Iqanrnh market roads and markets afterlife He knows some rigid differences that pulls in mind some differences Basic and high liquidity, including the global currency may reach speeds To financial volatility available to the Forex is the most important Huntalm and we talk about the cost of Forex currency trading and Balasouk, roads and other is the most important Stock market Flanokhaadd For example when a person ticker name and that too as it happens In Forex trading and more people fail to share trading Then heading for a foreign currency trading, who are also their right to do so and ID style The natural system of ...

What is the Best Time for Exercise?

There are many claims and counter claims regarding the best time to exercise. Conflicting research studies point to greater benefits for morning, afternoon or evening exercise regimes. In reality the best time to exercise is the time that suits you and your lifestyle best. The most important factor in choosing a time to exercise is to choose a time that you can commit to, will stick with and which can become an automatic and habitual part in your day. Exercising consistently is key to achieving the health benefits of exercise. Studies have found that people who exercised in the morning were more likely to persist with their exercise routine. They found it easier to stick with the program before the distractions of the day began to intrude. There are also claims that exercising in the morning is more effective for weight loss as it gave a kick start to the metabolism. Blood sugar levels are low so the body converts fat to fuel to meet its energy needs. In addition fat burning hormones ...