While a recent report lists DeSoto County as the ahealthiesta county in Mississippi, there is still more work to be done.A

A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program that ranked the stateas counties in areas such as quality of life and health behaviors put DeSoto County first overall in Mississippi.

The county was ranked first in the area of health outcomes, including quality of life.

Among health factors, DeSoto County was fourth overall, with social and economic factors third and clinical care seventh in Mississippi.

The only area where DeSoto County fared the lowest was in physical environment, where it was ranked 56th out of the stateas counties.

The areas covered under physical environment were such things as driving alone to work, having a long commute to work, along with air pollution levels.

The study also factored tobacco use, diet and exercise and the ease of receiving medical care.

While an accomplishment to be healthiest in a state that also ranks the highest for obesity, DeSoto County Health Council chair Jill Morris said the lofty listing can be a little deceiving.

aWe still have a high incidence of childhood and juvenile diabetes in children as young as 8 or 9-years-old,a Morris said.