The Aloha State has climbed from third to second place in a national ranking of healthiest states. In the 2008 America's Health Rankings, issued by the American Public Health Association (APHA), the Hawaii State Snapshot noted several strengths:

• A low prevalence of obesity (21.7 percent of the population).

• Low levels of air pollution (4.9 micrograms of fine particulate per cubic meter)

• Low rate of uninsured people (8.2 percent)

• Strong public health funding ($198 per person)

• Low rate of preventable hospitalizations (32.2 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees)

• Low death rates from cancer and cardiovascular disease (159.0 and 241.1 deaths per 100,000 population).

In first place, for the second year, was Vermont. After Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Utah rounded out the top five. Louisiana came in as the least healthiest state, according to the APHA, followed by Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Earlier this year, CQ Press ranked Hawaii as the eighth healthiest state.