Healthy lifestyles study has mixed results for Floyd County; men, women exercising at levels below ...

Women in Floyd County need to get a little more exercise, according to a new study published by the University of Washington. That comes in spite of data that indicates their life expectancy is almost four and a half years longer than their male counterparts.

Life expectancy in Floyd County for both men and women falls below the national average, according to a health report published by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the university.

The report, which covers all U.S. counties, uses the latest available data, from 2011 to 2013. It looks at issues such as alcohol use, life expectancy at birth, poverty levels and the prevalence of smoking, obesity and physical activity.

“I really think that a good diet and plenty of exercise will do more to improve your health than most medical procedures or medications that we can develop,” said Dr. Leonard Reeves, dean of the Northwest Clinical campus of the Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University in Rome.

• Floyd County ranked in the worst 25 percent when it comes to women getting the recommended levels of physical activity.

Just 43.2 percent of local women got the proper amount of exercise — 150 minutes of moderate to rigorous activity a week — compared to 53.2 percent of Floyd County men. The national averages were 52.6 percent for women and 56.3 percent for men.

• Local women were in the middle of the obesity range, with 40.6 percent registering as overweight. The men in Floyd County ranked with the top 25 percent of all counties at 34.2 percent. The national averages were 36.1 percent for women and 33.8 percent for men.

Obesity is based on a weight versus height formula. For example, a 5-foot-6-inch person weighing more than 186 pounds would be considered obese, as is someone 6 feet tall weighing more than 221 pounds.

• When it comes to life expectancy, Floyd County women were still in the worst 25 percent at 77.8 years while men were in the mid-range at 73.4 years. The national average was 81.2 years for women and 76.5 years for men.

Reeves said that advances in medicine have certainly improved life expectancy for both men and women.

• On the whole, Floyd County residents are not heavy drinkers, according to data completed through 2012.

Heavy drinking for women is defined as more than one drink a day for 30 days. For men the definition is more than two drinks a day for the same time span.

Only 3.3 percent of Floyd County women were described as heavy drinkers, putting them in the best 25 percent of the survey. The national average was 6.7 percent.

Men in Floyd County were also in the best 25 percent at 8.3 percent. The national average for men was 9.9 percent.

• In Floyd County, 28.5 percent of men and 22.6 percent of women said they smoked.

Both were well above national averages of 22.6 percent for men and 17.9 percent for women. The smoking data was based on reports through 2012.

“The one thing you can do for yourself if you are a smoker is quit,” Reeves said. “That will improve not only your life expectancy but your quality of life in the long run.”

• The poverty level analysis lumped men and women together and found that Floyd County was in the worst 25 percent of all counties in the nation, based on U.S. Census Bureau data for 2012.

Al Hodge, president of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, said that clearly the community has work to do to improve income levels. “One of the initiatives is to continue to work for improved jobs for the unemployed and underemployed in the community,” Hodge said.

Healthy lifestyles study has mixed results for Floyd County; men, women exercising at levels below ...