UnitedHealth: Older Americans face more health threats

More older Americans say they feel healthy, but they may not be doing enough to stay healthy.

Analysts at a foundation affiliated with UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) have included data hinting at a possible threat to future senior health in a big batch of senior health data.

The analysts used the data to come up with state senior health rankings. The analysts put Vermont in first place and Louisiana in last place. They used a wide range of health and general well-being indicators, ranging from obesity rates, to the number of home health care workers, to how older Americans say they feel.

The percentage of U.S. adults ages 65 and older who said their health status was very good or excellent increased to 41.8 percent this year, up from 39.9 percent two years ago.

The number of hospitalizations for hip fractures per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries has fallen to 6.2, from 7.3. 

The number of deaths per 100,000 adults ages 65 to 74 has fallen to 1,803, from 1,909.

But the percentage of older Americans who said they are not physically active outside of work increased to 33.1 percent, from 28.7 percent, and the percentage who appear to be obese increased to 26.7 percent, from 25.3 percent.