_
Mr. Bob Grewe, President and CEO of the New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp. recently spoke at the Healthy Communities annual board meeting, touting the work of Healthy Communities - particularly the recreational trails system development - as a great asset to Henry County. To view more of Mr. Grewe's presentation, please click here. To find out more about economic development in Henry County, please visit the NCHC EDC homepage!

_
As if state and city politicians needed another reason to pass comprehensive smoking bans, Indiana University released a study today finding that the economic cost of second-hand smoke in the state is $1.3 billion -- nearly triple previous estimates.

The study, conducted by the Bowen Research Center at the Indiana University School of Medicine, calculated that each Hoosier pays $201 annually because of the cost of secondhand smoke. That comes to a total of $1.3 billion a year, about $327.1 million in direct health care costs. The rest, or $977.5 million, comes from the cost of premature loss of life.

Numerous studies have shown that secondhand smoke increases an individual's risk of heart disease, lung cancer, respiratory illness as well as many other diseases. About 50,000 deaths each year in the United States are attributed to secondhand smoke, more than 1,400 of those in Indiana.

Indiana children are not immune to the costs of secondhand smoke. Nationally, it is estimated that more than half of all children, ages 3 to 11, live in homes where they are exposed to secondhand smoke.

Health care costs for youngsters come to $89.4 million, while loss in life expenses are $98.6 million. For adults, the costs are $237.8 million and $879 million, respectively, the study found.

The report did not include any costs incurred by smokers, but looked only at those experienced by people who do not light up.

Several factors help explain the increase, among them price hikes in the cost of medical care. The federal government also increased substantially its estimate of how much value a life has, also contributing to the rise, the study says.

In 2010, about 21.2 percent of adults in Indiana smoked, compared with 17.3 percent nationally.

The study concludes by calling for comprehensive smoke-free statewide as well as stricter regulation of no-smoking areas.

_Big Brothers Big Sisters of Henry County is proud to present the Annual Bowl for Kids' Sake Saturday, Feb 25th at the Rose Bowl!!

This is the biggest fundraiser of the year for us! We are looking for teams of 4 to 5 people to raise pledges/donations for their team and come bowl for an hour!

Please call the office to get signed up or if you have any questions. 765-529-4494

_
 Indiana's obesity rate slipped past 30 percent and the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes edged toward 10 percent in the latest state-by-state health rankings, echoing a disturbing national trend of increases in those key health indicators.

A top barometer of the nation's health and public health policies, the United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings released this morning found that the country's overall health did not improve between 2010 and 2011 -- a drop from the meager 0.5 percent average annual rate of improvement between 2000 and 2010.

Likewise, Indiana's overall ranking of 38th did not change from 2010, a slip from 36th in 2009. The state experienced a continued decrease in the smoking rate -- still high at 21.2 percent and 41st nationally -- and drops in binge drinking rates, cardiovascular deaths and infant mortality.

However, they weren't significant enough to change the state's overall ranking, due to high levels of obesity (30.2 percent), diabetes (9.8 percent), children in poverty (25.2 percent) and air pollution and low level of public health funding ($42 per person).

    Due to other states' increases, Indiana's obesity ranking stayed at 37th, although the prevalence went up slightly from 29.9 percent. The diabetes ranking fell two positions from 34th in 2010, when it was 9.3 percent.

Indiana's worst individual rankings were for air pollution, 49th; public health funding, 48th; children in poverty, 43rd; preventable hospitalizations, 42nd; and cancer deaths and smoking, each 41st.

The prevalence of children in poverty, however, did decrease from 26.3 percent to 25.2 percent.

For the fifth year in a row, Vermont is the nation's healthiest state, according to the Minneapolis-based non-profit private foundation committed to improving health and health care. The foundation's report found national increases in obesity, diabetes and children in poverty. Those poor results are offsetting improvements in smoking cessation, preventable hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths.

The report found, for example, that for every person who quit smoking in 2011, another person became obese. For the first time in 22 years of the report, no state had an obesity prevalence under 20 percent.

"While this year's rankings show some important improvements, we also see some very alarming trends -- particularly diabetes and obesity -- that, left unchecked, will put further strain on our country's already strained health care resources," said Dr. Reed Tuckson, United Health Foundation board members and executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group, in a release.

The full national report can be found at www.americashealthrankings.org.

Call Star reporter Barb Berggoetz at (317) 444-6294.

(Source: Indianapolis STAR, Health & Fitness)

A continued 'Thank You!'
to our generous sponsors:

ICAP
Draper, Inc.
Big Blue River Conservancy District
Henry County Community Foundation
Henry County Memorial Hospital Foundation
Pfenninger, Claxton, & Estelle Insurance Group
South Henry Regional Waste District
Dr. Helen Steussy
Henry County YMCA
Citizens State Bank
Ameriana Insurance
The Courier Times
Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service
Atlas Collections, Inc.
Road ID