An editorial from The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — When we reported on Tuesday’s front page that Beckley was named the laziest city in West Virginia, we heard some snickering and laughter. And some folks flat out weren’t buying it.
“I just think that’s a bunch of crap,” said one caller.
As The Register-Herald’s Daniel Tyson reported, “That may count for the city’s 35 percent obesity rate.”
Of course, flipping those stats — 64 percent of Beckley residents do report getting physical exercise — might make us feel a bit better about ourselves, but it is false praise. And, really, this is no laughing matter.
First, what is The County Health Ranking & Roadmaps? According to its website, it is “a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute” with a vision of a healthy America — “now and for generations to come.”
That seems like a worthy undertaking.
The rankings — again, taken from its website — “provide a revealing snapshot of how health is influenced by where we live, learn, work and play. They provide a starting point for change in communities.”
We’re pretty sure they don’t have a built-in bias against us…
