America's Laziest States 2010

[The Witch]

America's Laziest States 2010More Sitting, Less Doing

Where do people spend the most time sitting around? While physical activities—such as exercising, hiking, biking, swimming, and other sports—are popular in some states, sedentary pastimes are preferred in others.

Businessweek.com ranked the country's laziest states based on five years (2004-08) of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics American Time Use Survey, which averages the time spent each day on various activities across the population ages 15 and older, including people who did not do the activity at all. We evaluated the amount of leisure time spent on physically inactive pursuits, such as sleeping, watching television, relaxing, thinking, socializing, playing board games, and surfing the Internet (the U.S. average is 12 hours, 58 minutes). We considered these metrics against factors such as time spent exercising and playing sports in each state (the national average is 17 minutes), time spent working, and the state's median age. The final ranking only includes states where residents spend more free time doing sedentary activities than the U.S. average.

States in the South and on the East Coast are heavily represented on the list, with the country's three laziest states being Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Climate and age play a factor in slowing down the pace of life, as does the local lifestyle. Meanwhile, residents of North Dakota and Hawaii reported the least amount of inactive leisure time. As a reference point, we have also noted each state's obesity rate, although obesity was not used to determine this ranking.

Click here to see America's 20 laziest states.

 

[Rasputin]

What a surprise, the deep south dominates the list.



*obvious sarcasm*

 

[Dee]

*is not on there*

I'm still loafing around on the couch, though. In a few minutes I'll need to unpack the rest of this house even though I don't want to and would rather be lazy. D:

 

[blakstang98]

Not in the top 20 either! But I gotta say, California should definitely be in the top 20. I demand a recount.

I actually read about this a couple of days ago, so I already knew what state was the laziest. They didn't have a top 20 list though, just the top state. It's also a little unfair to Louisiana considering the sample data was taken at the time Hurricane Katrina, so the numbers were probably a bit gouged considering people had to seek refuge in Texas. But on the same token, the city of New Orleans does know how to live it up.

I always enjoy these state statistics though. Like which state is the most dangerous for DUI accidents and such. But again, I'm just biased about loving numbers.

 

[Valvalis]

Well it makes sense that there are a lot of southern states who are on the list As a Floridian I can tell you we don't exactly feel like going out and doing anything when it's frickin' hot as hell every day except for half of December and January You can't even breathe let alone do exercise. Plus there are fewer national parks with nice mountains to climb and forests to hike around in.

 

[The Witch]

I call BS on "Imagine a coal miner, a fiddler, a college basketball player and a grand Southern lady in an elegant hat, all sitting on a veranda sipping mint juleps, and you're starting to get an idea of what Kentucky's all about,"

One, we do not have "coal miners" and "grand southern ladies in elegant hats" even on the same side of the state.

Two, our basketball players can hardly be called players of a Bball team.

Third, yeah, we have a lot of verandahs but so does everyone.

And fourth of all, I've lived here *counts on fingers* 16 years and I'VE YET TO SEE ANYONE PLAYING A FIDDLE!


Here's what Kentucky is;
Picture seven men, all shirtless(and not sexy lookin' either), in ripped, worn down jeans(paint stains and all). About five blonde kids running around and a few heavy set women speaking to decently skinny women. They're all on a white, broken porch or around their sun faded Chevy trucks drinking beers and talking very loudly.

In public places the women dress in long denim jean skirts, and let their hair down till it reaches to the floor.

The older men walk around in stained t-shirts or tank tops, some have semi mullets that look like this. The younger women dye their skin till they look like a skinny orange, with fake-wannabe-Californian blonde hair, they wear tight shirts to show off their small potbelly(that they totally don't think they have) and walk around in flip flops as if they live in the sunny state--when they don't. Younger men dress like L.A. wannabe hipsters, with their rhinestone earrings, their crux cuts, and baggy jeans and shirts.

For activities--there are none. The best thing you'll find in Kentucky are corn fields, cow farms, tobacco fields, walmarts, and fleemarkets. We're a fat state because there's NOTHING to do here. There's exactly five lakes that are worth visiting--all gross and filled with garbage. Of course, you can always FISH--god knows how fun that is.

Think of gazillions of "Liquor marts" too

If you can imagine THAT--then you have a good idea of what Kentucky is.

But I gotta say, California should definitely be in the top 20. I demand a recount.

:mark:
Back the F up off my Sunny state.

 

[L]

i think it is funny NC and WV got owned, but not virginia. i should totally account for so much laziness

what the fuck is this shit

 

[Rasputin]

in other news how the hell is maryland not on this list

that is probably the laziest state in the union

we're so lazy we don't even bother following the speed limit when we see other cops, and the copsl don't ever bother enforcing the speed limit. and we sure as hell don't try to negotiate with the drug cartels in Baltimore, choosing to just let them shoot each other instead

 

[Dee]

As a native Californian, I can't say I agree with California needing to be on the list. It shouldn't. Maybe some parts of California, but not the state itself. I grew up in Orange County (Huntington Beach) and other various areas and we were constantly doing things. If we weren't at the beach in the sun, catching waves, we were running around like hooligans. Aside from the beach, there's also mountains and lakes and whatnot and theme parks if you're not up for going very far, though most of them are located in southern California.

*shrug*

 

[Sepalcure]

Well I live in New Jersey so yeah but I am a natural New Yorker at heart, born and raised practically. So as a New Yorker, I gotta say we ain't THAT lazy that we need to be chucked in with the rest of the lazy states. Half of us are far too busy catching the metro, running for a bus, a taxi, running from the cops, booking a date for a restaurant or flight outta the US somewhere, or trying to get a job at one of the dozens of businesses to consider even being called "lazy." I think the makers of this list need to reconsider putting us at the double digits even of that list. I'm far from lazy, was far from lazy, can attest to it. If I wasn't being shoved into a play, then it was the local amusement parks, or the beach, or the museums, OR a new restaurant.

Pfft, New Yorkers lazy my ass.

 

[Shu]

Haha, Mississippi is on there. We drink loads and loads down here, which basically makes us lazy. Though to be honest, all me and my friends usually play some type of sport to counter that. The ability to just sit around and eat fried foods all day... is what makes this state the devil.

 

[Sullivan0930]

really Surprised Connecticut wasnt up there. I mean we have nothing here, and always have nothing to do. seriously this is such a boring state. But i feel good that we are not on there, stay beautiful CT.

 

[The Witch]

I thought Kentucky was going to be number one, to be honest. It seems like nobody is ever doing ANYTHING here.

 

[blakstang98]

really Surprised Connecticut wasnt up there. I mean we have nothing here, and always have nothing to do. seriously this is such a boring state. But i feel good that we are not on there, stay beautiful CT.

I'm not totally sure what goes on in your end of CT, but being in Groton, we have EB, Phizer (which is moving out shortly) and the sub base. So I think a good chunk of the profit and work that goes on in CT is in my neck of the woods. But I do know that CT is the only state in New England that doesn't have an astronomical unemployment rate. So all things considered, CT is doing pretty good.

And yes Cali, I think California should be on there. The only real reason money is there is because the state overspends on employment, hence they're in financial dire straits. The biggest employment industry there is acting, and I'm hard pressed to believe they are hard working people. Overpaid premadonna's would be a better way to describe them. As far as laziness goes, Dee basically said why.

 

[Espurr]

in other news how the hell is maryland not on this list

that is probably the laziest state in the union

we're so lazy we don't even bother following the speed limit when we see other cops, and the copsl don't ever bother enforcing the speed limit. and we sure as hell don't try to negotiate with the drug cartels in Baltimore, choosing to just let them shoot each other instead

o_o Wow. I know I am lazy but even I am not that bad. I usually try to follow the speed limit as much as possible. Also I agree, Maryland does have it's share of lazy individuals too, myself included. I am really surprised the state itself wasn't even mentioned,

 

[Rydia]

Wow Ohio did not make the list? Apparently Cincinnati is the 4th fattest city in the US (aka the world)

 

[Dee]

And yes Cali, I think California should be on there. The only real reason money is there is because the state overspends on employment, hence they're in financial dire straits. The biggest employment industry there is acting, and I'm hard pressed to believe they are hard working people. Overpaid premadonna's would be a better way to describe them. As far as laziness goes, Dee basically said why.

Hon', while Tinsel Town pretty much made a huge name for itself in the Golden state, and while many of the actors and actresses are overpaid, it is obviously not bringing in enough funding; not for the state, at least. You could say the same thing about a states professional basketball team as well using that logic.

Everyone I know in California is either working their hands to the bone or, when they have time off, going out to the beach, hiking, jogging, skiing, lots of water sports (since its on the Pacific). There are a buttload of tourists who are constantly exploring, hence why the state is so popular. It has to have things to do. And really, it's just not a lazy state. Like I said, maybe more up North where its quieter and less hectic it might be a little more lazy. But in between Los Angeles and Sacramento, you've pretty much got farm land, and the farms don't run themselves.

I don't know why people think California is such a lazy state. Just because the general atmosphere of it is more laid back doesn't mean it's inactive--not in the least. You've got a little bit of everything: surfing, skiing, horse back riding, ATV, snowboarding, skateboarding, wakeboarding, walking, jogging, biking, boogie boarding, parasailing...and the list goes on.

While I don't live there anymore, I was born, raised and grew up there for just over half my life. I still come down to visit every year and each year we're doing something. Always. Constantly. Even all of my family who lives down there are doing things, visiting family, friends, etc. If anything, it should be near the bottom of the list of lazy states.

/done defending California

xD