Did Americans get any healthier over past decade?

ATLANTA (AP) - About 10 years ago the government set some lofty health goals for the nation to reach by 2010.

By: By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer | WNCT
Published: December 31, 2009

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ATLANTA (AP) - About 10 years ago the government set some lofty health goals for the nation to reach by 2010.
So how did we do? By many measures, not so hot.
There are more obese Americans than a decade ago, not fewer. We eat more salt and fat, not less. More of us have high blood pressure. More of our children have untreated tooth decay.
But the nation has made at least some progress on many other goals. Vaccination rates improved. Most workplace injuries are down. And deaths rates from stroke, cancer and heart disease are all dropping.
The government is still analyzing how well the nation met the 2010 goals and drawing up a new set of goals for 2020. The Healthy People objectives were first created in the 1970s.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-12-31-09 1340EST

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