Because of the continuously failing health care system in the United States, health risks are beginning to grow all throughout the country. Recently, worrying statistics have surfaced in the South, as the health of Texans is rapidly decaying. Apparently, Texas has had a dramatic drop when it comes to health care and the general state of the Texans’ health. The prevalence of smoking, obesity and percentage of children in poverty has been on a rising trend in Texas.

The report that held these statistics, called America’s Health Rankings, has been published with the help of the UnitedHealth Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. According to America’s Health Rankings, Texas dropped in 2008 from the 37th spot to the 46th. Regarding the smoking risk, it has increased in Texas from 17.9% to 19.3%. When it comes to obesity, the risk raised from an already elevated percentage of 26.1 to 28.6%. The statistics related to children in poverty are the most worrying, especially since they have registered the biggest risk increase, namely from 22 percent to 25 percent.

Health-related news isn’t all bad for Texas, however. The Southern state has registered surprisingly low rates on binge drinking, more precisely 15% of the state’s population. Also, Texas has registered a low rate on cancer deaths, namely 186.3 death caused by various forms of cancer per 100,000 people. These problems that Texas is facing seem to stem form the fact that Texas has the highest rate of uninsured citizens all throughout the country. According to the most recent statistics, about 25% of Texans are uninsured.