A new study by Mattress Firm sets out to rank all 50 states based on how healthy they are by focusing on sleep quality, obesity and average life expectancy data.
"These states live longer, sleep better and enjoy low obesity rates," claims the study. Topping the list is—drum roll, please—Arizona, with an average life expectancy of 79.6 years. California comes in second, thanks, probably, to its healthy commuting habits (out of the top 20 U.S. cities with the highest share of biker commuters, eight are in California).
Here are the 12 healthiest states in the country:
1. Arizona
2. California
3. Colorado
4. Idaho
5. Masssachusetts
6. Minnesota
7. Montana
8. New Hampshire
9. New Mexico
10. Utah
11. Vermont
12. Washington
What about the remaining 38 states? "While many states did well in at least one of the areas we studied, there were states that fared poorly overall, like Georgia and Indiana," reads the study. "Both states had poor sleep health, high obesity rates, and lower-than-average life expectancy."
Interestingly enough, although areas claiming good sleep health made it to the upper rankings, Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan—all boasting great sleep habits—actually seem to have poor life expectancy numbers. "This might be due to their higher obesity rates," advances the study.
Overall, New York and Hawaii presented the most surprising results. Although both guilty of poor sleep quality (Hawaii comes in last when looking at data focusing on sleep), they presented a higher than average life expectancy and lower than average obesity rates.
So, is it time to pack and leave your home if you don't live in the 12 healthiest states? Absolutely not. But here's a call to action: Let's try and get healthier, people.