The Trust for America's Health recently ranked Hawai'i as the second healthiest state in the nation behind Vermont. Hawai'i moved ahead of two other states this year from last year's health ranking of fourth. In its 23rd year, the annual America's Health Rankings is the longest running comparative health index of states. For overall health, Hawai'i consistently ranks in the top five states each year.
The report noted that while Hawai'i has one of the lowest obesity rates in the nation, there are still roughly 234,000 obese adults in the state.
While the prevalence of diabetes in Hawai'i is below the national median at 8.4 percent, the state's climbing rate reflects the troubling nationwide trend of increasing chronic disease. Additional areas of high concern for the state include the rate of health disparities among ethnicities and rural areas. This includes higher rates of tobacco use and obesity among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
