Obesity the big killer in L.A

Los Angeles County residents are less likely to die of lung cancer, suicide or car crashes than residents of most other California counties - but more likely to die from heart disease and diabetes, according to a state health report released Thursday.Susan Abram in the Daily News.

The annual report compiled by the state Department of Public Health and the California Conference of Local Health Officers, offers a mixed picture of Los Angeles County's health between 2005 to 2007.

The county ranked among the 10 best in prenatal care, preventing death from lung cancer and fewest fatal car accidents per person. Some health experts attributed those results to public policy decisions like public smoking bans and better compliance with seat-belt and child-seat laws.