According to County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, an interactive tool to compile health statistics, Coos County is fatter, lazier, poorer and sicker and less likely to graduate than most of Oregon. We don’t quite hit rock bottom compared to other counties, but at 28 out of 33 we are close.
Fatter, lazier, poorer and sicker and less likely to graduate than most of Oregon? Let’s get some perspective. More obese – could be the limitations of inclement weather with no place to go. Lazier? How did you get there? The statistics show that we drink a lot – that in itself can make you overweight, poor and sick and we also excel in dying in vehicle accidents. And we smoke. We smoke alot. We don’t seem to rate too high on the violence scale, but ask any victim of domestic violence here and the lumps are harder. Single parent households? FYI, LNG and Coal Trains aren’t going to change the drinking and driving problems, nor are there going to be more two-parent families or graduates. I doubt it will change the unemployment rate long term (get out while you have a job!)because if you notice, the professional series jobs are not going to go to a local with no education and a drinking problem. We can’t all sell insurance and real estate and have the nerve to call outselves professionals. I noticed there were no demographics on drug abuse (besides alcohol), diversity, or the behavior of children of alcoholics (generations of which) who seem to know which local big dogs are not to be tangled with. Coos Bay is a small town with a group of generations-long businesses who make the rules.
Raising questions about conclusions reached in any study is always a good thing because the researcher/author may not have factored in all contributors. To improve health requires not just a response to economic factors but must also consider social and environmental issues as well.