Predictably, in many measures of health Floridians rank about average compared to all Americans. In some categories, however, we do a little better — or a little worse. Floridians are pretty good at getting flu shots, mammograms and having their cholesterol checked, for example, but more of us are fatter than national averages. Fewer Floridians die per capita of heart failure than nationally, but we’re hospitalized for congestive heart failure far more frequently than national averages. Likewise for stroke.

A sampler of health indicators follows (. In some cases, objectives are included from Healthy People 2020, a federal project that sets health goals for Americans.

PRETTY GOOD

Adults who have had their cholesterol checked in the last five years:
Florida 83.2%
U.S. 77.0%
Florida’s rank 5th
Healthy People 2020 goal 82.1%

Adults over 65 who received a flu shot in the past year:
Florida 65.6%
U.S. 67.5%
Florida’s rank 14th
Healthy People 2020 goal 90%

Stroke age-adjusted death rate (per 100,000 population):
Florida 30.3
U.S. 42.2
Florida’s rank 4

Breast cancer age adjusted death rate (per 100,000 population):
Florida 20.0
U.S. 22.9
Florida’s rank 11th

Women over 40 who have had a mammogram in the past year:
Florida 77.1%
U.S. 75.6%
Florida’s rank 17th
Healthy People 2020 goal 81.8%

Mothers initiating breastfeeding at birth:
Florida 79.5%
U.S. 74.6%
Florida’s rank 15th

Adults 50 and over who have ever had a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy:
Florida 68.2%
U.S. 65.2%
Florida’s rank 18th
Healthy People 2020 goal 70.5%

UNHEALTHY

Coronary heart disease age-adjusted death rate (per 100,000 population):
Florida 103.4
U.S. 126.0
Florida’s rank 24th
Health People 2020 goal 100.8

Adults who smoke:
Florida 17.1%
U.S. 17.3%
Florida’s rank 24th
Healthy People 2020 goal 12%

NOT GOOD

Adults with no regular moderate or vigorous physical activity:
Florida 74.4%
U.S. 70.6%
Florida’s rank 44th

Adults who are:
Overweight* Obese*
Florida 37.8% 27.2%
U.S. 36.3% 27.6%
Florida’s rank: 45th 24th
Healthy People 2020 goal For obesity is 30.6%

*Overweight is defined as having a body mass index of 25 or greater. Obese is defined as having a BMI of 30 or more.

Adults with diabetes:
Florida 10.4%
U.S. 8.7%
Florida’s rank 43rd

Adults who consume fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables daily:
Florida 73.8%
U.S. 76.6%
Florida’s rank 36th

Adults with health insurance:
Florida 83%
U.S 85%
Florida’s rank 37th

Adults who visited a dentist in the past year:
Florida 66.4%
U.S 69.9%
Florida’s rank 39th

Adults with high blood pressure:
Florida 32.1%
U.S. 28.7%
Florida’s rank 42nd
Healthy People 2020 goal 26.9%

Adults with high cholesterol:
Florida 39.7%
U.S. 37.5%
Florida’s rank 42nd

Adult women who have had a pap test in the past three years:
Florida 80.4%
U.S. 81.0%
Florida’s rank 32nd
Healthy People 2020 goal 93.0%

HIV cases reported (per 100,000 population):
Florida 29.8
U.S. 13.6
Florida’s rank 51st

Premature births (less than 37 weeks):
Florida 13.8%
U.S. 12.3%
Florida’s rank 49th

CEO Sounding Board, By Mike Vogel

Does Florida have an adequate balance between encouraging growth and controlling it?

Lee Arnold
CEO, Chairman/Colliers Interbational Tampa Bay, Central Florida and South-west Florida, Tampa

“I see today a much better balance of regulatory implementation, less unwarranted bureaucracy and effective management of the growth process in Florida. However, we have a ways to go in properly ensuring that we are protecting our natural resources, which is an area regulations should protect.”

Matthew Rieger
President, CEO/Housing Trust Group, Miami

“There is a continually unmet demand for safe, clean, affordable housing throughout all areas of florida. As part of the growth-management process, municipalities should create opportunities for their citizens to participate in the process of making their needs known to the Florida Housing Finance Corp. in order to allocate appropriate resources to those areas that are naturally and organically growing.”

David Martin
President / Terra Group, Miami

“Some developers would say that the state’s growth-management policies have slowed development and the jobs they would create. However, at Terra, we believe the state’s growth-management policies help promote sustainable economic development. This helps balance the development booms with the necessary and parallel expansion of infrastructure to sustain it.”