For the fourth year in a row, Vermont has been ranked as the healthiest state in the country.
Gov. Peter Shumlin and Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen say the state did well in categories including low incidence of low-birth-weight babies, low violent crime rate, and low infectious disease rates as keys to Vermont's success.
Vermont's obesity rate is growing, but not as fast as those in most other states.
Among the state's challenges: a relatively high rate of binge drinking and a higher rate of deaths from cancer than most other states.
The rankings are done by the United Health Foundation.
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