汪翔
随便想想
美国生活最幸福的十个州
谈了最差的十一个，让很多人感觉压抑。那么，再来谈谈最好的十个。剩下的，就是二十九个中不溜秋的家伙了。初看一下这个名单，觉得有些意思：大家都拥有很高的肥胖率，最低的也高于五分之一，多数在四分之一以上。每四个美国人，就有一个过胖！
如果这些人将这些增加肥肉的食品消耗节省下来，几年、几十年下来，美国的国债可能也能够被用这些节省来消灭掉了。但是，可惜呀，人的习惯就是无法被人的大脑控制住。
那些贫穷的人，面对美国广大而肥沃的土地，如果是生活着一帮像我们父母辈的中国人，这些让美国人困扰的问题，估计都不会成为问题。他们会兢兢业业，勤勤奋奋地开地种植，让自己吃上新鲜的蔬菜的同时，有锻炼好了自己的身体。那样的话，平均寿命可又得再加好几年了。
美国佬吃得太肥了。这点罪过，估计是无法怪罪到远在海那边的中国人身上的。因为，多数食品，应该不是来自中国，而是来自附近的国家和美国本土。
有时候我想，产生这种原因的，除了习惯之外，恐怕还是和现代食品科技的进步有关系。
几年前，我到俄亥俄州南部一个购物中心（ Mall ）去闲逛，碰到那里在搞农业展。看到一头颇精神的猪，就和猪的主人聊了起来。在我个人的记忆中，养一头猪，至少需要一年多的时间，往往是头一年买头小猪仔，每日给它喂食残汤剩饭，看着它一天天的慢慢长大。看着它生长时的感觉，和无聊时看着家中窗台上鲜花的生长速度，估计也没有太大的差别。
等到了下一年，再非常不忍心的将它杀掉，以便一家大小能够吃上美味和有油水的猪肉。
生活在美国二十年之后，不经意之间，居然对于吃肉越来越没有兴趣了。也不知道是什么原因。就更别谈去听和看，那杀猪时猪可怜的吼叫声了。
没想到，美国生长的猪，从小猪仔到成年猪，只需要三个月！
这样的猪，你还敢吃吗？
猪是如此，鸡就更不敢恭维了。
牛呢？会好些吗？你相信会好些吗？
至于他们会被怎么样杀掉，你还是别想它为好，可能美国的牲畜死的快速些，受到的伤害小一些。这就是美国佬讲究的“人道”之一。
回归正题，不难注意到：美国这些州的人们的平均寿命，很多接近八十岁！不管他们所生活地区的平均收入是不是很高。我觉得，在调整了地区物价差异之后，收入的差别估计也很难大到哪里去。所以说，收入多少，不一定和你是不是过的幸福成比例。追求高收入，又不得不当高房价的房奴，精细计算的结果，你不一定就真的赚了（经济学上叫做“福利该进”？）。再者，你希望多得，总得多干，多干之后就是多付出身体、时间和寿命的代价。这些亏损和你额外的获得，怎么样核算，好像也必将技巧。这几项之间应该如何平衡，倒是个很有趣的事情。
回想到苏联人那可怜的平均短命，再看看美国佬的长寿，接着再合计一下这种差别带来的文化和智慧方面的累积差别，你是不是能够看出，长期而言，短命的俄国是无论如何也不可能打败长寿的美国佬的。
教育水平的提高，才是治国之本！看看这里的数字，似乎也说明了这点。
对比一下这些最幸福的州和那些最“难受”的州，或许，你能够读出很多有趣的信息。希望你能够将这种发现和分析与我分享。
下面继续借花献佛。
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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