Uninsured in America (Health Insurance)

Was looking over data from census.gov relating to Health Insurance in United States from 2005-2007. Texas tops the list with approx. 25% of the population without health insurance (Is that possible or am I looking a the wrong data --> census.gov). Massachusetts and Hawaii are supposedly the best in providing Health Insurance with approx. 8% of the population not being insured (Best? Nothing to be proud of!!).

Sad state of affairs and our presidential candidates are bickering about LIPSTICK!!

Here's a Google Maps View of "Uninsured in America".


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Mapping the World's Dirtiest Cities

Forbes is out with a list of "The World's 25 Dirtiest Cities". The dirties of them all is "Baku, Azerbaijan" with a index score of 27.6 (compared to New York city as a base with a index score of 100).

Click here for a Google Maps View of "The World's Dirties Cities".

Related: The World's most Polluted Cities.

Presciption Drugs in United States Drinking Water

CNN was reporting yesterday that researchers have found prescription drugs in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas - from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit, Michigan, to Louisville, Kentucky.

Even though quantities found are far below the levels of medical dose, scientists are worried of long-term consequences to human health.

I have mapped out the metropolitan areas affected on Google Maps along with prescription drug info. (Note: Information window pop up after every 8 seconds. However you can click on "Disable/Pause" button if you need more time to read thru the text in the information window.

Here's a screen shot of Drugs found in drinking water around Columbus, OH.

January 21st - The Most Depressing Day of the Year?

So are you depressed today? I am depressed today because the outside temperature right now in the Detroit Metro area is (8 F and it feels like -3 F). It's not going to be fun looking at the heat bill this month.

The most Popular News Story at TIME.COM today is "The Most Depressing Day of the Year". This news story led me to create a Google Maps Mashup of "Ranking Mental Health in America". My source for this Mashup is "Mental Health America". Utah seems to be most depressed and South Dakota the happiest.

Back to the TIME Story:
Quote from the Time News Story:

There's a lot to feel down about this month: the subprime mortgage crisis, stormy, unpredictable weather, rising gas prices, presidential primary free-for-alls. So, it would be easy to believe the theory set forth by Dr. Cliff Arnall, a researcher from Cardiff University, that the third Monday of the month (Jan. 21, this year) — a day he calls Blue Monday — will be our most depressing day of the year. Arnall bases his yearly prediction on a formula he developed, which factors in the weather, consumer debt from holiday spending and failed New Year's resolutions and arrives at that conclusion that we'll hit rock bottom on Monday the 21st.

It should also be pointed out that many in the academic community don't agree with Arnall's theory.

Binge Drinking in America

United Health Foundation has a report out there titled "America Health Rankings - 2007". One of the component in the rankings is "Binge Drinking at the State Level". Here's a Google Maps View of percentage of adult population "Binge Drinking".

Binge Drinking is defined as "males having five or more drinks and females having four or more drinks on one occasion."

Wisconsin leads the nation in "Binge Drinking" where 24.2% of adult population do "Binge Drinking". Compare Wisconsin to Tennessee where 8.5% of adult population do "Binge Drinking". Compared to previous year Delaware recorded the largest increase in "Binge Drinking". In Delaware "Binge Drinking" increased from 15.6% to 19.0%. The National average is 15.3%.

Related: America's Drunkest Cities

Top Rated Pediatric Hospitals in United States

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia tops the list of "Best Hospitals for Kids" in United States. This list was compiled by US News.

Here's a Google Maps view of "Best Children's Hospitals in United States".

Big Mac's Nutritional Values

McDonald's Big Mac Sandwich celebrated its 40th Anniversary last month (August 23rd, 2007). Big Mac was invented in 1967 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania by Jim Delligatti, one of McDonald's franchisees. By 1968 it was being sold all over United States.

Today Big Mac is available in over 100 countries. But Nutritional Values do differ from country to country. Here's a Google Maps View of Big Mac's Nutritional Value in some of the countries.

Related: Obesity in America, World's Fattest Countries

Obesity in America

Mississippi leads the nation in obesity with 30.6% of the adult population which is obese (Percentage of adult population with a body mass index of 30 or higher (2004-06)). (Source TIME Magazine dated September 10th, 2007)

Take a look at this Google Maps Mashup to see where your state compares with other states in obesity.

America's Best Hospitals for Cancer Treatment

Here's a Google Maps View of America's Top 50 Hospitals for Cancer Treatment as mentioned in US News.