Taylor County Among Least Healthy in Florida
The Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) project is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The project has released its 2010 County Health Rankings, and our own county hasn't fared so well.
Health behaviors is one of the categories in which we scored the worst, thanks to citizens' rates of obesity, smoking, and alcoholism. We also had trouble with high school graduation rates, which are quite a bit lower than they should be. Too many people have been killed in motor vehicle crashes relative to our size. These are just a few of the interesting statistics.
What are your thoughts? Is the data accurate? If so, what should we do to improve the situation? Can adult behavior be changed, or should we focus more on breaking the cycle with children? And how children be effectively taught to do the opposite of what they've been brought up in?
Taylor County's rankings can be found at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/florida/taylor.
WCTV's coverage can be found at http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/84589132.html.
Health behaviors is one of the categories in which we scored the worst, thanks to citizens' rates of obesity, smoking, and alcoholism. We also had trouble with high school graduation rates, which are quite a bit lower than they should be. Too many people have been killed in motor vehicle crashes relative to our size. These are just a few of the interesting statistics.
What are your thoughts? Is the data accurate? If so, what should we do to improve the situation? Can adult behavior be changed, or should we focus more on breaking the cycle with children? And how children be effectively taught to do the opposite of what they've been brought up in?
Taylor County's rankings can be found at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/florida/taylor.
WCTV's coverage can be found at http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/84589132.html.
boy things just keep getting better for Taylor County. Although personal responsibilty plays a great role in all of this, this is another example of our "leaders" falling short of service to our community, service above benefiting personally. When you look at the number of DUI's and related deaths in our community, we can look at the local judiciary and judicial clerk(s) as part of the continued problem when folks have a "buddy" in the courthouse. The manipulating of charges and related corruption that has historically happened is criminal.
As far as "Health behaviors", many bloggers on this site have detailed the issues with obesity, smoking, alcoholism and high school graduation rates. This shows the shortfalls of our "leaders" as well when; (1) kids are allowed to bring guns to school without consequences. (2) school district personnel use drugs, alcohol and commit domestic violence, (3) school district personnel behave badly in front of our children, (4) the level of ethically challenge and corruption in our local elected officials, (5) the single-minded slow-witted idealogical approach of "just say no" to drugs, tobacco and alcohol and pre-marital sex, (6) Cronyism and all related things are the norm.
Solutions? Well first let's as a community make a difference when we vote this year, call out our "leaders" when the act inappropriately, parental involvement in all levels of our children's lives, get your family in church, get your kids involved in activities, provide birth control to those teens who already have had one-two or three children, turn in drivers, both young and old, drinking and driving, support local law enforcement from your house to the courthouse, demand more from our school board and school board members, pay your taxes on the local-state and federal level, pay your unemployment compensation and related taxes, do not pay your employeess under the table, if you see a friend in trouble HELP, if you see a married couple in trouble HELP, just help where you can in our commnity and learn some civility!
Reply to this
Halleluiah…. Sing it to the choir, it doesn’t matter how many times we hear it, it is a beautiful sound.
Reply to this
Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Autobiography of Mark Twain
Source: http://www.twainquotes.com/Lies.html
“And that’s all I got to say about that”
Forrest Grump
Reply to this
Your feeling is that the statistics are inaccurate? Because I have to say, they seem to echo what I see. Even if they're off a little, I'm afraid that overall they paint an all-too-accurate portrait of our county.
Reply to this
I realize that in a sudden emergency I am but a poor clumsy liar, whereas a fine alert and capable emergency-liar is the only sort that is worth anything in a sick-chamber.
- Mark Twain's Autobiography
Reply to this
Boy, everybody is full of -isms, Twainisms, Gumpisms, ect...These colloquialisms are great matches for our Mayberryish-Hootervilleish community, but a sad comentary on our "leaders". I for one hope that this anti-incumbent tea-bagging trend replaces some of our "leaders" who are up for re-election. These "leaders" have had a chance to make a difference and for the most part have become a part of the bigger problem. Let's go ahead and elect some new folks, at least some folks who will not be selling items to the same boards they serve on, folks who can make sound decisions, folks who understand their roles and responsibilites, have a working knowledge of concepts such as fiduciary responsibilty, ethics and public service. We need to have one less “best good friend” (Gumpism) in the courthouse, schoolhouse and outhouse to solve the issues in our community. God must love stupid corrupt people. He has so many!!
Reply to this
U make me laugh and its a good thing. Thank you
Reply to this
The following link is to the statistical ranking / numbered page/ spread sheet
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/florida/taylor
Physical Environment Ranking for Taylor County list air, access to healthy food, and bar density
This link is to the model /flow chart/list of ranking identifiers
http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/pha/match/matchRankings.pdf
Physical Environment Ranking List is as follows: Air Quality, Water Quality, Built Quality the report has no listed ranking or list of data for these to Health Determinants.
Are the statistics flawed it would appear that parts of the reports data sets where not available. The Problem may well be with the Florida department of Health (FDOH) data sets availability and transfer but I doubt that since the SRWMD is the water data keeper and the quality of water in Taylor County the quality of water is poor and the source is identified as industrial pollution by same said agency.
Another source of confusion in the data collection or location maybe that those numbers may well be housed/located @ FDEP like the list of agriculture grant 2009.
But what the heck there is always somebody(like me) who thinks they know every little thing about something.
Reply to this
http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/journal_of_health_care_for_the_poor_and_underserved/v021/21.1.stokes.html
Reply to this
Thanks for the link. The abstract looks interesting and I look forward to reading it. If only more in our community could read and comprehend above a 8th grade level, both adults and children. There is so much information being published and available to read, you would think any community, especially our community, would educate themselves on these projects and the harmful effects of such projects before selling the whole community out for a few jobs, jobs for their cronys and not jobs that improve everyone's lot and do not raise the econo,ic tide for a large cross-section of our community. Way to go TCDA and others, time for a change!
Reply to this
I read the full article over the weekend, but want to re-read it when I have a little more time. My first impression was that the authors' argument was that environmentalists' efforts lead to a large grass-roots movement against the plant, which isn't at all my recollection of events. I suppose it all depends on what circles you run in, but most of the people I talked to at the time supported the plant. No one felt it was the ideal new employer to bring to town, but nobody else is beating down the door to set up shop here.
Reply to this
As for the obesity, well, the food in Taylor County is really good. Can't deny that. I will take the barbecue and fried seafood anyday over California light.
Reply to this
It is good, however it should not be impossible to get a health meal. It should not be cost prohibative for the poorest of our community to eat cheap fast food for every meal. Also when we were young kids actually got outside and played and got more exercise than the kids today.
Reply to this
sewage, chemicals, any and all deposits.
Now that you know what's in the kool-aide, how does it taste?
Reply to this
There are many factors that went into those ratings. It's not Buckeye's fault that a disproportionate number of Taylor Countians are obese, smoke, and/or binge drink.
Reply to this
If you are on the buckeye teet, it must taste great, all us others, it taste like a buckett of manure.
Reply to this
Well you may be right, the bloated buckeye employee who smokes, drinks, fools around on their spouse and knows everything wouldn't make any bad decisions! LOL!
Reply to this