Minnesota sure has it merits, and in fact, we are top ranked for  health, driver safety, low crime rates, health insurance, low pollution, and much more. However, that doesn’t give us reason to slack off, and ignore the troubling statistics. From binge drinking to graduation rates, here are a few things about Minnesota that you might not want to know, but probably should:

1. Minnesota has the 5th highest level of binge drinking.
Flickr/ambernambrose
According to a American Journal of Public Health study, 30.2 percent of men and 17.3 percent of women admit to binge drinking.
2. 27.6% of Minnesotans are obese.
Flickr/Tony Alter
While it's good that we're the 4th healthiest state in the country according to America's Health Rankings, it's still disheartening to see obesity is an issue for such a large percentage of our population.
3. 29.5% of our children aged 19 to 35 months aren't receiving the recommended doses of DTaP, polio, MMR, Hib, hepatitis B, varicella, and PCV vaccines.
Flickr/KootenaiUrgentCare
The level of immunization is startlingly low and below the national average. Adolescents aged 13-17 also have low levels of immunization in MN.
4. Only 79.8% of 9th graders end up graduating with a regular diploma in 4 years.
Flickr/US Department of Education
This puts us in the bottom half of the states for high school graduation.

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5. 20.2% of MN adults report doing no physical activity other than their regular jobs.
Flickr/Adrian Scottow
That means 1 out of 5 Minnesotans aren't exercising at all! Yikes!
6. 16.3% of Minnesotans report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke.
Flickr/Sonia Belviso
Not so startling, but still not pleasant.
7. 11.9% of Minnesota's children are living in households at or below the poverty level.
Flickr/Jess
While we have the 5th lowest child poverty rate in the US, it is still troubling that 1 out of every 10 Minnesotan children are living in poverty.
8. For every 100,000 people in MN, 5414 potential years of life are lost prior to age 75.
Flickr/David Reber
Minnesota has the lowest rate of premature death in the nation, but it's still a lot of potential life lost.
9. Minnesota is 8th lowest in public health funding per capita.
Flickr/401(K) 2012
We have amazing medical care here, but state and federal allocation is a mere $43.54 per capita, barely half the national average.

Which of these statistics surprised you the most?

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