Report card on U.S. Health trends and statistics now available for 2011.

We know our readers are interested in health and life choices. Like many, you may be interested in the report card released each year by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control on the health of the nation. In Brief, provides a summary of the larger report in text, tables and graphs. For those who are more data-obsessed, the entire report is available for download in its entirety or in sections.

PositiveTip: Make positive life choices each day to improve this report card in the years to come.

The USA is one of the heaviest countries in the world.

A new study reveals that among high-income countries, the USA has experienced the fastest growth in body mass index (BMI) between 1980 and 2008. It also had the highest average BMI in 2008: 28.5 for men and 28.3 for women. Only Nauru in Oceania exceeded this with BMIs of 33.9 and 35 respectively. 

PositiveTip: Let's move more and eat less to change these trends!

Stroke is now the 4th leading cause of death in the USA.

Preliminary data from the US Centers for Disease Control indicates that stroke has slipped to the 4th leading cause of U.S. deaths in 2008. The top five causes of death in the U.S. are:

1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases
4. Stroke
5. Accidents

The reduction of stroke deaths is due in part to improved prevention along with greater use of medications to treat and prevent recurrent events.

PositiveTip: Careful positive choices will reduce the risk of each of these top killers! How are you doing?