but just because people say they're in good health doesn't necessarily mean they are in good health...just saying...

Vermont: Home of cheese and Ben and Jerry's!

Love Burlington! It is so much fun to visit there, but its kinda sparse so I am not sure I would want to live there, healthy or not

i love burlington, too laurenG22! i grew up vacationing in Vermont, and miss that so much!

I don't think the ingredients for salads or fruits or simple healthy meals from the grocery store cost more than a disgusting meal at McD's or a bag of chips and a 2L bottle of soda (unless you are buying organic, but u don't have to buy organic to be healthy). I hate when the excuse for ppl being unhealthy is that it's too expensive to be healthy!

I agree, cmd0610. Not buying processed foods puts a bunch of money IN your pocket.

I have to disagree about poverty not being linked to poor eating habits. The number that defines "poverty" is extremely low and I don't even see how it covers basic living expenses in most areas. I don't know where everyone else lives, but produce here in Ohio is expensive and I can most definitely see where Ramen noodles, boxed mac & cheese or fast food would be the only affordable options.

boxed mac and cheese costs more than a box of plain pasta and homemade sauce with fresh or even canned tomatoes and some species . . . and that's a healthy and inexpensive meal! I was a grad student for 2 yrs and I had $0 and I still ate healthy home cooked meals! I never "had" to eat ramen or fast food. Bagged salad is also less expensive than fresh salad and a decent alternative. Obviously it matters where you live but it also matters about making smart money choices (like i didn't have extended digital cable or super fast Internet so I saved money on those things to eat better).

i'm not surprise that there's a city in VT that is classified as the healthiest. i think that sometimes people forget that when there are a LOT of outdoors things to do, and when you're a little taken outside of an urban area that the quality of life can be that much better. that's kind of what cities in Colorado are typically high up on the list as well right?

Right on HippieCowgirl. At my poorest in college I was buying ramen for 20 cents a package. I ate for LESS than a dollar each day. And I'm in OH too- and it's quite difficult to find fresh produce at a good cost. If you want CHEAP produce, you have to lower your standards and get the nasty stuff that will undoubtedly go bad within two days.

If you have no money and you live in a poorer area, it's really difficult to get to the grocery stores that have a better selection of healthy foods if you don't have a car or bus money. Certain areas in my city have only gas stations and a very BAD grocery store that's in walking distance.

You also have to take into account the fact that poorer areas have less access to quality health education. So even if people do decide to splurge on groceries, they're a lot less likely to choose the "right" things.

Good point about the health education, JessicaLE.

Feeding one person when you're at or below the poverty line is one thing. Feeding yourself and 3 or 4 children is another. They obviously don't have any income, but they still need to be fed. I totally see the point that it can be done, but I think there are some circumstances when it's nearly impossible.

To the commenters who see a link between poverty and ill health: thank you! I grew up in the Huntington area, and it's true that produce is quite expensive there. Also, that report considers "Huntington" to be a FIVE COUNTY metropolitan area - a lot of that area is actually very rural; many people have to drive quite a ways to get to a grocery store. When you are working long hours for low pay, you want to make those trips to the store as fast and infrequent as possible, and you want to get food that's inexpensive easy to prepare. Without good health education, that means that it's all too easy to buy pre-packaged foods that you can cook quickly, or your kids can prepare by themselves while you are working. It's sad, but it's true.

What you forget about poverty when talking about how home-made healthy food is cheaper (and sure, it can be, excepting certain things like ramen.. which can be healthed up a bit) is that food choices, even for the poor are not just about expense, convenience is even more important when you:
- Work more than one job
- Have to live far from your employment (lack of affordable housing) and have to use underfunded public transport add to that if you have to go between multiple places of employment
- Don't have child-care options
- Are attempting job-skills classes
- Don't have the knowledge base to make healthy food choices to begin with or even access to that information.
- Rely on food stamps (which are limiting)or commodities (dude, its all fake cheese and weirdness) or food banks (which aren't generally stocked with the healthiest foods)
- Your kids need to feed themselves while you are away
etc
also emotional eating becomes a stronger aspect when you can't afford any other entertainment than food in front of the tv, certainly nothing active. Simple sugars are a cheap way to feel better and are very linked in our culture to social bonding.

Poverty and obesity are linked and complicated, its not as simple as 'you can make it yourself, healthier, for cheap'

Also in addition to what commenters above have said about rural grocery stores being inconvenient, poorer neighborhoods in urban areas tend to have more corner stores than groceries so lots of junk food, prepakaged stuff, no produce, and the grocery stores tend to have older, worse quality produce and more limited selections, the produce goes bad faster because it is older and is less appealing in the store.