Men in Tennessee still have a way to go in improving their health, according to a Vanderbilt report released Tuesday. It showed Fs in cancer-related deaths but As in heart disease.
Vanderbilt professor David Penson says that this year’s grades don’t necessarily indicate better or worse health in Tennessee men compared with a report card that came out two years ago.
“The CDC changed the goals. Frankly, they lowered the bar a little bit.”
One goal that became a lot less ambitious was the reduction of gonorrhea in men, where Tennessee scored an F in 2010 and an A this year. In heart disease, however, the CDC expanded the goal and Tennessee men still improved their grade from a D to an A.
The unveiling of the report at the Tennessee Titans’ stadium was also meant to encourage healthier lifestyles, Vanderbilt head football coach James Franklin called men to exercise regularly and eat healthier.