NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A new report suggests Tennessee and Kentucky are health crisis hotspots, citing the high obesity prevalence and related health issues.
Health website LookMeds said its research team ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across four key metrics — obesity prevalence, diabetes rate, heart disease mortality rate, and stroke mortality rate — based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Diabetes Association in order to determine which states are most at risk.
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According to LookMeds, Tennessee was deemed the No. 6 health crisis hotspot in the nation, with a 37.6% rate for obesity prevalence. Meanwhile, 13.7% of adults in the Volunteer State have been diagnosed with diabetes, which is the sixth highest rate in the U.S. In addition, the mortality rates for heart disease and stroke are 218.3% and 46.4%, respectively.
Kentucky was right on Tennessee’s heels, being ranked seventh as a health crisis hotspot. LookMeds said the Bluegrass State scored above the national averages for all four categories, with an obesity prevalence of 37.7%, a diabetes rate of 13.8%, a heart disease mortality rate of 208.6%, and a stroke mortality rate of 42.9%.