St. Louis City is the least healthy part of Missouri, according to the County Health Rankings statistics.
This report, from the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ranked St. Louis as dead last in the state in healthiness, after every county. Meanwhile, St. Louis County and St. Charles County were among the top.
So, what exactly is the city doing wrong? So states the study: apparently, just about everything.
St. Louis ranked low in most of the categories. Here's an abbreviated list of the areas where the city needs to improve, according to the study:
- The city has 11,692 premature deaths (death before age 75) per 100,000 citizens. The Missouri average is 8,112.
- 20 percent of city residents reported being in poor or fair health; 4 percent more than the Missouri average.
- The teen birth rate in the city is 75 per 1,000 females age 15-19. The Missouri average is 45.
- Smoking, obesity, binge drinking and sexually transmitted disease are all higher in the city.
- 51 percent of city residents have a high school diploma, compared to the 81 percent Missouri average.
First of all, St. Louis is always ranked among the most dangerous cities in America. Think of how cool you can sound when you tell all your friends in St. Charles about survival in the hard-scrabble, concrete jungle.
Also, the city is ranked tops in sexually transmitted diseases. And how do you get those? Lots and lots of sex. With lots and lots of people. I think you know where I'm going with this.
And what about St. Charles, the healthiest county in Missouri? Well, even Homer Simpson has to put up with Ned Flanders, the healthier and smarter neighbor. But seriously, who wants to live like Flanders? Howdily-doodily anybody?
