Whats interesting is how on many different maps, county maps etc. where they color in the countries "highest rates of obesity" diabetes, smoking, etc. (yes we rank high in all)... how the different "colors" stop at the borders of so many states.
For instance, with the diabetes map Oklahomas counties are mostly a dark color indicating high rates there, then you look north and south and there is a dramatic change with hardly any counties dark. Same with a lot of other states. It cant be that demographics change that much right across a state border in so many instances. To me it seems there must be a play of both demographics and POLICY at work. Otherwise there would be more spillover and not straight lines boxing in the states. And yes, one must admit by looking at the maps that demographics do play a role in policy. (the poor, appalachian trail route/demographic is very much in play) Policy does seem to have an effect, but could you separate policy from demographics I wonder? The policies exist because the majority of the people want those policies.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/figures/m845a2f.gifInteresting how those maps also closely match the presidential (red blue) election map for counties, and the level of education.
http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/jparman/edu-map.jpgPerhaps only the smart conservative counties (per our one posters assertions) are the, "smartest" but least educated, poorest, highest obesity rates, diabetes, smoking, etc. counties?
Also
Smokiest Metro Areas % Who Are Current Smokers
Wichita Falls, TX 30.9
Hagerstown, MD/Martinsburg, WV 28.9
Huntington, WV/Ashland, KY 27.9
Louisville, KY 27.5
Winston-Salem, NC 25.3
Charleston, WV 24.9
Youngstown/Warren, OH 24.4
Fayetteville, NC 23.8
Hickory/ Morganton/Lenoir, NC 23.8
Tulsa, OK 23.8
Most Smoke-free Metro Areas % Who Are Not Current Smokers
Provo/Orem, UT 95.1
Ogden/Clearfield, UT 91.6
San Jose/Sunnyvale, CA 91.6
Bethesda/Frederick, MD 90.9
Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk, CT 89.5
Salt Lake City, UT 89
San Francisco/San Mateo, CA 88.8
Santa Ana/Anaheim/Irvine, CA 88.7
Miami/Fort Lauderdale, FL 88.4
Los Angeles/Long Beach, CA 88.3
Source: CDC