Report: Sussex leads state in healthy living

An annual health rankings report has found Sussex County tops Delaware’s three counties when it comes to healthy living in Delaware.

The report, produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, compiles the most recent available data on health behaviors, clinical care, physical environment, length and quality of life, and social and economic factors from each county in the United States.

Sussex County ranked first in Delaware for length and quality of life, and second in the state on other health factors. Sussex also outperformed top counties in the U.S. for quality-of-life factors, which include reports of poor or fair health and low birthweight.

The statistics show health is improving in Sussex County, but Dr. Paul Silverman, Delaware Division of Public Health associate deputy director, said serious health concerns remain.

The ranking tends to divert attention from the major problems, he said.

Silverman said Delaware's cancer mortality rates were among the highest in the nation just a few years ago, but the report shows premature deaths have declined.

“Now we've done a good job, and it's a lot less, but does that mean we don't worry about cancer anymore? Of course we do,” he said. “These are important positive trends, but it doesn't mean these are no longer problems.”

Silverman said adult smoking rates, obesity and teen births showed improvement, but those problems also continue to present challenges.

In 2004, 25 percent of adults in Sussex County were considered obese. In 2013, the report found, 31 percent of adults were considered obese.

Obesity is one of the most serious health problems in Delaware and across the United States, Silverman said. Obesity among Delaware adults has increased about 46 percent in the last decade, he said.

“It's probably one of the most important epidemics of our time,” he said. Diabetes diagnoses increased by nearly 60 percent in that same timeframe.

But fixing the problem is easier said than done.

“No one agency can be responsible for this,” he said, adding that the availability of fast food and cultural influences play roles in poor health choices. Physical activity and access to exercise opportunities also are key.

“Our whole lifestyle is less geared toward physical activities than it used to be,” Silverman said. The report found 26 percent of Sussex County residents older than 20 reported no leisure-time physical activity, while 67 percent said they had adequate access to exercise opportunities, such as parks or gyms.

“One of the things I hope will change that in the future is the initiative to build trails for both biking and walking,” Silverman said. “We'll see if that makes a difference.”

Looking at a measurement such as obesity among adults shows how complex health can be, Silverman said.

“There's no simple solution,” he said. “Just because we rank first or third in something doesn't mean that the problems go away.”

For the full report, go to www.countyhealthrankings.org.