St. Louis lags in women’s health

A recent publication ranks St. Louis near the bottom in women’s health issues. Ellen Ellick, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis City Department of Health, admits that may be true, depending on where in the city you live. She says some parts of the city are as healthy as any place in the country. More important than that, she says, is lifestyle. She says how women eat and exercise and whether they smoke or drink decide a major part of how healthy they will be. She ranks lifestyle 50% of someone’s health, heredity 20%, environmental factors 20%, and access to health care as 10%. “Self” Magazine lists St. Louis 155 among the 200 biggest U.S. cities for women’s health. Kansas City ranked 130.