汪翔
隨便想想
美國生活最幸福的十個州
談了最差的十一個，讓很多人感覺壓抑。那麽，再來談談最好的十個。剩下的，就是二十九個中不溜秋的家夥了。初看一下這個名單，覺得有些意思：大家都擁有很高的肥胖率，最低的也高於五分之一，多數在四分之一以上。每四個美國人，就有一個過胖！
如果這些人將這些增加肥肉的食品消耗節省下來，幾年、幾十年下來，美國的國債可能也能夠被用這些節省來消滅掉了。但是，可惜呀，人的習慣就是無法被人的大腦控製住。
那些貧窮的人，麵對美國廣大而肥沃的土地，如果是生活著一幫像我們父母輩的中國人，這些讓美國人困擾的問題，估計都不會成為問題。他們會兢兢業業，勤勤奮奮地開地種植，讓自己吃上新鮮的蔬菜的同時，有鍛煉好了自己的身體。那樣的話，平均壽命可又得再加好幾年了。
美國佬吃得太肥了。這點罪過，估計是無法怪罪到遠在海那邊的中國人身上的。因為，多數食品，應該不是來自中國，而是來自附近的國家和美國本土。
有時候我想，產生這種原因的，除了習慣之外，恐怕還是和現代食品科技的進步有關係。
幾年前，我到俄亥俄州南部一個購物中心（ Mall ）去閑逛，碰到那裏在搞農業展。看到一頭頗精神的豬，就和豬的主人聊了起來。在我個人的記憶中，養一頭豬，至少需要一年多的時間，往往是頭一年買頭小豬仔，每日給它喂食殘湯剩飯，看著它一天天的慢慢長大。看著它生長時的感覺，和無聊時看著家中窗台上鮮花的生長速度，估計也沒有太大的差別。
等到了下一年，再非常不忍心的將它殺掉，以便一家大小能夠吃上美味和有油水的豬肉。
生活在美國二十年之後，不經意之間，居然對於吃肉越來越沒有興趣了。也不知道是什麽原因。就更別談去聽和看，那殺豬時豬可憐的吼叫聲了。
沒想到，美國生長的豬，從小豬仔到成年豬，隻需要三個月！
這樣的豬，你還敢吃嗎？
豬是如此，雞就更不敢恭維了。
牛呢？會好些嗎？你相信會好些嗎？
至於他們會被怎麽樣殺掉，你還是別想它為好，可能美國的牲畜死的快速些，受到的傷害小一些。這就是美國佬講究的“人道”之一。
回歸正題，不難注意到：美國這些州的人們的平均壽命，很多接近八十歲！不管他們所生活地區的平均收入是不是很高。我覺得，在調整了地區物價差異之後，收入的差別估計也很難大到哪裏去。所以說，收入多少，不一定和你是不是過的幸福成比例。追求高收入，又不得不當高房價的房奴，精細計算的結果，你不一定就真的賺了（經濟學上叫做“福利該進”？）。再者，你希望多得，總得多幹，多幹之後就是多付出身體、時間和壽命的代價。這些虧損和你額外的獲得，怎麽樣核算，好像也必將技巧。這幾項之間應該如何平衡，倒是個很有趣的事情。
回想到蘇聯人那可憐的平均短命，再看看美國佬的長壽，接著再合計一下這種差別帶來的文化和智慧方麵的累積差別，你是不是能夠看出，長期而言，短命的俄國是無論如何也不可能打敗長壽的美國佬的。
教育水平的提高，才是治國之本！看看這裏的數字，似乎也說明了這點。
對比一下這些最幸福的州和那些最“難受”的州，或許，你能夠讀出很多有趣的信息。希望你能夠將這種發現和分析與我分享。
下麵繼續借花獻佛。
America’s Happiest States
Charles B. Stockdale , March 2, 2012
10. Montana
> Well-being index score: 68.0
> Life expectancy : 78.4 (24th lowest)
> Obesity: 23.0% (6th lowest)
> Median household income: $42,666 (11th lowest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 91.7% (3rd highest)
Residents of Montana are generally happy. They rate themselves among the highest in the nation in both Gallup’s life evaluation and emotional health categories. Montana has among the most educated adult populations in the country with 91.7% of residents aged 25 and older having at least a high school diploma. Residents of the state are also physically healthy. The state’s obesity rate of 23% is the sixth-lowest in the country. Montana also has the fifth-lowest rate of heart disease and the seventh-lowest rate of diabetes.
9. New Hampshire
> Well-being index score: 68.2
> Life expectancy: 79.7 (14th highest)
> Obesity: 25.0% (15th lowest)
> Median household income: $61,042 (7th highest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 91.5% (4th highest)
New Hampshire has high scores in the well-being categories related to physical health and healthy behavior — in each it ranks second. The state has plenty to be happy about besides health. New Hampshire is very wealthy, with the seventh-highest median household income in the country and the absolute lowest poverty rate. The state has the fourth-highest rate of adults with high school diplomas, the fourth-lowest unemployment rate, and the third-lowest rate of violent crimes.
8. Nebraska
> Well-being index score: 68.3
> Life expectancy: 79.2 (21st highest)
> Obesity: 26.9% (25th highest)
> Median household income: $48,408 (25th highest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 90.4% (9th highest)
Nebraska ranks among the top ten states for four of Gallup’s well-being categories: life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, and work environment. The state is doing relatively well economically speaking and currently has the second-lowest unemployment rate in the country at 4.1%. State residents are highly educated, as the state boasts the ninth-highest rate of adults with high school diplomas. The state also performs well in several health metrics, including having one of the country’s lowest rates of heart disease.
7. Kansas
> Well-being index score: 68.4
> Life expectancy: 78.4 (25th lowest)
> Obesity: 29.4 (15th highest)
> Median household income: $48,257 (25th lowest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 89.2% (17th highest)
Kansas stands out in the areas of emotional health, physical health, and, most of all, work environment, where resident place their state third-best in the country. Among metrics outside of the Gallup report that were considered by 24/7 Wall St., Kansas stood out the most in obesity, for which it has the country’s 15th-lowest rate, and in education, for which it ranks 17th-highest for adults with a high school diploma.
6. Colorado
> Well-being index score: 68.4
> Life expectancy: 79.9 (10th highest)
> Obesity: 21.0% (the lowest)
> Median household income: $54,046 (15th highest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 89.7% (15th highest)
Although Colorado ranks relatively well in all well-being categories, it stands out for physical health and healthy behavior. These rankings, which are based on the perceptions of state residents, largely reflect the reality illustrated by more objective metrics. Colorado has one of the longest life expectancies in the country. It has the lowest rate of obesity, at just 21%, and the lowest rates of both diabetes and heart disease. It also has the fourth-lowest rate of cancer in the nation.
5. Alaska
> Well-being index score: 69.0
> Life expectancy : 78.3 (23rd lowest)
> Obesity: 24.5% (13th lowest)
> Median household income: $64,576 (3rd highest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 91.0% (5th highest)
Alaska ranks high in all well-being categories except for basic access, which measures access to basic necessities. Alaska has one of the lowest scores in that category. Its overall well-being score, however, is high thanks to high scores in categories such as life evaluation, where the state ranks No.1. The state is relatively wealthy, with the country’s third-highest median household income and second-lowest poverty rate, although these are somewhat offset by the state’s particularly high cost of living. Alaskans also have low rates of heart disease and obesity, and the lowest rate of diabetes in the country.
4. Utah
> Well-being index score: 69.0
> Life expectancy: 80.1 (tied for 6th highest)
> Obesity: 22.5% (3rd lowest)
> Median household income: $54,744 (13th highest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 90.6% (7th highest)
Utah has high scores in well-being categories. Residents of the state indeed have plenty to be happy about. The state economy is doing well, and the state’s unemployment rate of 6% is the nation’s ninth-lowest. The state also has a fairly high median income and a low poverty rate. Utah is also very healthy with the sixth-highest life expectancy in the country. Only 9.1% of adults smoke — the country’s lowest rate — and 22.5% of adults are obese, which is the third-lowest rate. The state has the lowest rate of cancer, and the third-lowest rates of diabetes and heart disease. The state also has among the highest rates of adults with high school diplomas and the lowest rates of violent crime.
3. Minnesota
> Well-being index score: 69.2
> Life expectancy: 80.9 (2nd highest)
> Obesity: 24.8% (14th lowest)
> Median household income: $55,459 (12th highest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 91.8% (2nd highest)
Those living in Minnesota report being particularly happy in all well-being categories, including top ten rankings in five of six areas. The state does especially well in the physical health category, where it ranks number one. Minnesota residents have the second best life expectancy in the country at nearly 81 years. The state has exceptionally low rates of obesity and tobacco use. It also has among the lowest rates of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes in the country. On top of this, Minnesota has the second-highest rate of high school-educated adults, the tenth-lowest poverty rate, and the ninth-lowest rate of violent crime.
2. North Dakota
> Well-being index score: 70.0
> Life expectancy: 80.1 (tied for 6th highest)
> Obesity: 27.2% (23rd highest)
> Median household income: $48,670 (23rd highest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 90.3% (10th highest)
North Dakota is another state that ranks highly in all well-being categories. However, residents feel particularly good about their work environment, where the state ranks No.1. Indeed, it is hard to deny the state is a good place to work, especially when North Dakota boasts an unemployment rate of 3.3% — the lowest in the country. The state is home to one of the country’s most widely educated adult populations. It also has a healthy population, as the sixth-highest life expectancy in the country suggests. It also has among the lowest rates of both cancer and diabetes.
1. Hawaii
> Well-being index score: 70.2
> Life expectancy: 81.5 (the highest)
> Obesity: 22.7% (5th lowest)
> Median household income: $63,030 (5th highest)
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 89.9% (13th highest)
Residents of Hawaii consider themselves the happiest people in the country. The state has among the highest ranks for five of six well-being categories, including first-place spots for emotional health and healthy behavior. Hawaii has the longest life expectancy in the country of 81.5 years. It has among the lowest rates for obesity, smoking, cancer, and heart disease. The state’s median income of $63,030 is the country’s fifth-highest, and its poverty rate of 10% is the sixth-lowest. The state also has a relatively high rate of adults with high school diplomas and a relatively low rate of violent crime.
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