Arkansas has serious health problems, even though the state is known for its natural beauty, cultural history, and nice people. The 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute says that Arkansas has the 48th best health results out of all 50 states. This program looks at things that affect people’s health, like their quality of life, how they act when they’re sick, clinical care, social and economic factors, and their actual surroundings.
Out of the 384 metro areas that were looked at for the program, some Arkansas towns had worse health metrics than others. Lewisville was found to be the least healthy city in Arkansas based on an overall score that took into account eight different health factors. These included the number of smokers, the number of possible lost years of life, and the percentage of people who said they were in fair or poor health.
Why is Arkansas’s Lewisville the most unhealthy city?
Lewisville is a cute town in Lafayette County with a long past. It’s also home to favorite places like Burges BBQ & Ice Cream, which has been around since the 1960s. However, the town has major health problems that need to be addressed.
The following health facts about Lewisville are shown by the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program:
- The average for the state is 19%, but 38% of the people there say they are in bad or fair health.
- The normal for the state is 22%, but 31% of the people here smoke.
- The average for the state is 35%, but 43% of the people there are fat.
- 40% of people are not physically active, which is higher than the 30% state rate.
- The normal for the state is 13%, but 23% of the people here have diabetes.
- 14% of people don’t have access to a doctor, which is higher than the state average of 9%.
These numbers show that a lot of people have chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and breathing problems. These diseases can be mostly avoided by living a healthier life with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and regular medical checkups.
There are many ways to improve the health of the people in Lewisville
Several groups, such as the local government, healthcare providers, neighborhood groups, schools, businesses, and residents, need to work together to solve Lewisville’s health problems. Here are some possible options to think about:
- Creating more places to be active in the town, like parks, paths, bike lanes, playgrounds, and other fun places to be.
- Getting more people access to fresh fruits and veggies, reducing food insecurity, and teaching people about nutrition and cooking are all ways to encourage healthy eating habits.
- Providing free or low-cost nicotine replacement treatment, supporting programs to help people quit smoking, and putting in place policies that make tobacco use less appealing, such as higher cigarette taxes and smoking bans in public places.
- Increasing access to high-quality medical care by hiring more doctors, offering telemedicine, and lowering the prices of health insurance for people with low incomes.
- Getting people in the community involved in health promotion events and campaigns will help raise awareness and get people to change how they live.
In Conclusion
Lewisville has a lot of potential and charm, but its people are having a hard time with their health, which is lowering their quality of life. Lewisville can improve its health and become a more vibrant and successful place to live by putting some of the ideas forward into action.