South Carolina ranked as one of the nation's unhealthiest states in a new study released by the United Health Foundation.
South Carolina ranked 46th overall. Vermont tops the list as the healthiest state for the sixth year in a row.
Mississippi and Louisiana tie for 49th as the least healthy states. Arkansas, West Virginia, and South Carolina complete the bottom 5 states.
South Carolina has one of the highest rates of diabetes at 12.1 percent of the adult population, with 435,000 adults with diabetes.
In the past year the high school graduation rate increased from 62.2 percent to 66.0 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduated within four years.
In the past 5 years, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 15.6 percent to 26.3 percent of persons under age 18.
South Carolina ranks below the median state on all measures except two - binge drinking and preventable hospitalizations.
In South Carolina, obesity is more prevalent among non-Hispanic blacks at 39.9 percent than non-Hispanic whites at 27.8 percent; and sedentary lifestyle is more prevalent among Hispanics at 35.6 percent than non-Hispanic whites at 24.9 percent.
Click here to read more
