STUDY: Health Officials Say New Yorkers Are Kind of Lazy

Over 1 in 5 adults is considered inactive across most of the country. This is according to the latest numbers gathered from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their latest study says that most states are physically inactive, which they define as not participating in any physical activities outside of work over the last month  This could be anything from jogging, to weight lifting, to even mowing the grass, or simple gardening.

So, how do health officials rate the state of New York? According to their findings, we could do a little better. The data says that 25.9% of adults in New York are considered physically inactive. That puts us 18th in the nation as far as inactivity. Mississippi was first (or maybe, last) overall, with 33.2 % of adults considered inactive. The South, as a region, reported the highest level of physical inactivity at 27.5%. Colorado was the most active state, with only 17,7% of adults considered inactive by the CDC's numbers.

We appear to be the least active state among our neighbors. Connecticut reported 22.6% overall, Massachusetts 23.3%, Pennsylvania 24.7%, and Vermont with only 19.6%. According to the CDC, New Jersey wasn't included due to insufficient data.

The findings only measured inactivity over a short period of time. Past surveys have found that while New Yorkers are gaining weight year by year, we still rank as one of the least obese states in the country. Or perhaps, we just aren't quite as fat as some of the other states, where the obesity epidemic as swelled to absolutely alarming proportions?

How about best states to live all together? This could be highly subjective, though according to U.S. News and World Report's rankings of the nation's best states to live in 2021, we were 18th. We're just below our neighbors in New Jersey and Connecticut, who ranked 19th and 20th, respectively. While the Empire State still sits slightly above the middle of the list, many residents continue to leave in droves for warmer climates and less expensive areas to live, according to statistics. According to the estimates from the United States Census Bureau, 126,355 residents left New York between July 2019 and July 2020. It often comes down to; cost of living, poor job growth (especially upstate), taxes, and harsh winters. Now, add the fact that the state was one of the hardest hit areas from COVID in the world, and that's enough to send people packing, according to these estimates.