Arkansas moves up in group's healthy state rankings

By The Associated Press

Arkansans' health has improved over the past year, at least in relation to other states, according to a national survey that says the state moved from 48th to 43rd in the nation.

"We are going in the right direction, and the results are gratifying," state Health Department Director Paul K. Halverson said. "We are pleased to see that our rankings are improving, but there is still much to do."

The rankings released Wednesday came from the United Health Foundation, a private, nonprofit group based in Minnesota that works to improve health-care services and their cost-effectiveness.

Halverson cited a drop in the proportion of smokers in Arkansas as one of the state's more impressive achievements.

"A drop from 23.7 per cent to 22.4 percent in one year is very significant and moves Arkansas closer to the national rate for adult smoking, which has just dropped to 19.8 percent," Halverson said.

However, Halverson said much work remains to be done, particularly in battling the rising rate of obesity in Arkansas.