Report suggests drop in Missouri's overall health
Life expectancies in some counties rival less-developed countries
A new report claims Missourians are not as healthy as they used to be, comparing their health to citizens in less-developed countries.
The report from the Missouri Hospital Association comes amid the group's support of Gov. Jay Nixon's failed attempt to expand Medicaid in the state earlier this year.
The MHA report said Missouri, which was ranked the nation's 24th healthiest state in 1990, is now down to 42nd. The report said it based its assessment on criteria from the United Health Foundation.
Dr. Sarah Ziegler, a pediatrician at the Swope Health Center, said the state has had a generation of people making poor food choices.
"(People are eating) a lot of processed foods, heading away from the classic meat and potatoes and vegetable plate to a (diet of) fast food, quick food and packaged meals," Ziegler said.
She said if that's what parents eat, then so will their children.
The report also said Missouri has other bad health habits, leading it to be third in the nation for heart attacks, eighth in the nation for per-capita smokers and it has the fourth-lowest immunization rate.
The MHS said Missouri's strict Medicaid regulations are a factor in why so many people are uninsured. Almost 90 percent of uninsured Missourians are of working age, with most of the rest under 18.
Ziegler also said today's children aren't getting enough exercise.
"We're seeing a lot more children spending more time on the couches, in front of the TV, rather than being outside and active," she said.The average life expectancy in Missouri is 77 years. It's even lower in some counties in southeast Missouri, comparable to places like Vietnam, Venezuela and Lebanon.
The map (right) shows the life expectancy at birth across Missouri counties, including higher rates in the Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis metropolitan areas. The map uses statistics from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.