A report on the general health of Americans has been released and it ranks each state based on its physical health, job satisfaction, and other quality of life characteristics. While Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, Minnesota, and Vermont ranked 1-5 as the healthiest, many others are as well. Those ranked lower need to feel bad since the report polled a sample of people from each state. It’s not a coincidence that people who reported being happy with their jobs smoked less, had fewer risks of heart disease and diabetes. People who are not happy with their jobs will smoke more, eat more, and be less inclined to exercise. While this is not surprising, the statistics on how people rate their lives are: 53 percent felt they were thriving, 43 percent said they were struggling, and 3 and a half percent said they were suffering. There was no mention of what constitutes “prosper”. Onward with more fun health news.

Kids: The Tooth Fairy adjusts for inflation

The tooth fairy has adjusted the rewards she leaves under the bed pillows for inflation. It seems that in 2012 she paid a whopping $3.49 for the first missing tooth and, on average, subsequent teeth cost the mythical $2.49. Long ago, the writer charged twenty-five cents for the big front teeth, ten cents per molar, and five cents for the rest. The time has changed. Inflation is rising. Today is National Tooth Fairy Day. Maybe someone bought you a winning Powerball ticket.

Seniors: Are you satisfied with your medical coverage?

We know that working with health insurers can be a real hassle. Sometimes it takes an incredible number of phone calls to get the answer to a question. A recent survey found that 94 percent were satisfied with the quality of care, 90 percent are satisfied with the benefits, and 81 percent are satisfied with the out-of-pocket costs. This is very good news even as cuts in health care will soon be felt across the country.

Now they tell me!

Today’s Nintendo lovers can tell their parents that playing the game all day and night leads to better surgical skills later in life. There. I told you. A recent study found that surgery students who used a Wii controller had much better skills across 16 different skill sets than those who didn’t. The researchers noted that laparoscopic simulators are expensive and difficult for students to obtain, while video games, consoles, and controllers are less expensive and readily available. Any game that comes with 3D graphics and requires high hand-eye coordination is good for America’s future fools. I wonder if the joysticks I used years ago are as good as a Wii controller.

Blame the Roomba

The more technology we have to do housework, the more sedentary we become and therefore the more overweight we become. Well, it’s true up to a point. We have more technology in the home that allows women who do housework to have a better time. Think about the Roomba and the dishwashers that do almost everything except put them away when they’re done (and why they don’t), and the laundry systems that allow us to wash and dry clothes in less time. All this leads us to relax and not do any exercise. It is true that cleaning the house does not cost us as much as it did in the 60s and 70s. Many working women have cleaning ladies or weekly housekeepers. Those who don’t have this luxury can still fire up a Roomba and then lie down to watch TV while it vacuums the carpet. What’s wrong with that?