Study: Teton County Healthiest in State

Teton County has been ranked the healthiest county in Wyoming for the second year in a row. A study released yesterday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin measured the health of residents in every county in the U.S. based on factors such as access to health care and healthy foods, physical activity levels, environmental quality and alcohol and tobacco use. Teton County Public Health Manager Terri Gregory says it makes sense that Teton County secured the number one slot in Wyoming. “Certainly our physical environment and the healthy people our environment draws is a big part of it,” Gregory said. “Most of the people here are interested in outdoor and physical activities and are health- minded; not very many of us smoke, the obesity rate is low and we have low physical inactivity.” Gregory noted that according to the study, only 2 percent of Teton County residents do not have access to healthy foods compared to Wyoming’s 6 percent.

“For Wyoming,  getting fresh vegetables and fruits is always an issue but I’ll bet the [low numbers] we’re seeing in this report have a lot to do with the efforts that grocery stores and restaurants are making in access to healthy foods and certainly the two farmers markets.” While Teton County’s numbers were the lowest in the state for smoking, obesity and physical inactivity, we reportedly have one of the highest rates of excessive drinking in the state at 22 percent. According to the study the only area in the Cowboy State with more excessive drinkers is Sublette County.