East Texas Near the Bottom on New Health Report

If you work out and eat right, good for you! Not everyone in East Texas is following your lead.

Overall, East Texas ranks low on a new report by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Which East Texas county is the healthiest?

Smith County ranked the highest of any other counties in East Texas, coming in at #65 out of 221 counties in Texas. Smith County is surrounded by other East Texas counties that ranked in the bottom third for health, highlighting Tyler as a bright spot in this part of the state.

Health factors like adult smoking, adult obesity and physical inactivity were used to come up with the rankings, along with access to healthcare.

Rusk County ranked #145, Van Zandt #146, Wood #157, and Cherokee #174 in terms of overall heath.

With Smith County head and shoulders above other East Texas counties, what gets the credit? Some say the Fit City Tyler initiative has led to a more health conscious attitude, and other East Texas cities may look to implement something similar to encourage people to get active and eat healthy.

So as you think about heading to the vending machine to grab a bag of chips today, the little voice in your head telling you to fight the urge may not be your own. It's all of East Texas! We're hoping to rank higher for health next year.

The healthiest counties are in the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin metro areas, and they have plenty of ice cream stores and donut shops. What gives? Apparently we just need to work out a little harder.

Filed Under: fitness, health, health rankings, KTYLFM

Categories: East Texas News, Family, Health, Lifestyle