New CDC study says Oklahoma is the least heart-healthy state in the country

A new Centers for Disease Control survey says nearly 99% of Oklahomans have one or more risk factors or behaviors that increase risk for heart disease. That's the highest rate in the nation.

Oklahomans were also less likely to report eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day than residents of any other state, and they were among the most likely to report being overweight.

Washington, D.C., had the largest number of residents with optimal heart health. Close to 7% of people living in D.C. who responded to the survey reported having no major risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

The telephone survey included more than 350,000 people in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They were asked about seven key heart health indicators:

• Blood pressure
• Total cholesterol
• Smoking status
• Weight (as measured by body mass index)
• Diabetes
• Physical activity
• Fruit and vegetable consumption

Just 14% of Oklahomans said they ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, compared to 31% of Washington, D.C., residents, the highest in the nation to meet this dietary goal.

One item of note, Oklahoma's state meal includes barbecue pork, chicken fried steak, sausage, biscuits and gravy, fried okra and squash, strawberries, black-eyed peas, grits, corn, cornbread, and pecan pie. The state meal was approved by the state legislature in 1988.