The winners and the losers

Winner: Utahns don't like to smoke, and we're all healthier for it. This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report showing Utah has the lowest smoking rate in the nation, with only 1 in 10 people lighting up. California came in second. Not surprisingly, researchers can draw a direct correlation between smoking rates and cancer rates. The bad news is that smoking levels nationwide have leveled off after years of decline, led in part by some new tactics of tobacco companies, including the introduction of flavored cigarettes aimed at young people. If only the rest of the nation were like Utah, the CDC said, at least 1 million fewer people would die.

Loser: We know you're surprised, but a government report this week concluded health care costs would rise, not fall, as a result of the sweeping overhaul passed by Congress earlier this year. But the predicted increase is minor — two-tenths of 1 percentage point. That means one side of the debate will claim it is insignificant while the other will say it's a long way from a reduction. Perhaps more sobering was the report's conclusion that government is beginning to dominate health care even without so-called Obamacare. But Medicaid and children's health insurance will grow significantly under the new law, which should push that domination along much further.

Winner: Feeling stressed? Well, you should try living in Detroit. Portfolio.com this week ranked Salt Lake City as the least stressful U.S. city in which to live, road construction notwithstanding. Detroit was at the other end of the spectrum, with Los Angeles taking second and Cleveland, home of the most robberies in the nation per 100,000 population, taking third. The website cited Salt Lake City's low crime rate, easy commutes, (relative) high employment and good health records. And you probably had the silly notion your life was hectic.