It's nice to celebrate news of the longer-than-average life expectancy Hawai'i residents enjoy, but let's not miss the point. There's plenty of room here to get those statistics to start looking even better than they are.

This is not a hopelessly pessimistic outlook: It's realism.

The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research places the 50th state at the top rank for life expectancy — 81.3 years, a whole year longer than the average in the runner-up state, Minnesota.

The numbers themselves don't come as a surprise to most health experts. Hawai'i has been known for its long-lived citizens, but it owes much of that sunny record to happenstance.

Demographics play a part. Hawai'i's largely Asian population is genetically predisposed to greater longevity, and that boosts the average.

Year-round temperate weather keeps older people active — and healthier — longer. To some extent, the people who choose to live here may do so partly because they're attracted by the capacity for an outdoorsy life. So some of the population is self-selected to be oriented toward health and fitness, and this kicks up the numbers a notch, too.

But as many health professionals rightly point out, other indicators are less encouraging.

The state Data Book estimates for 2005 show alarming rates of chronic diseases: The prevalence of diabetes, for example, is about 60 of every 1,000 people, and that's been trending upward in recent years. National goals are set at reducing that to 25 per 1,000, so clearly, Hawai'i has a long way to go.

What may be most distressing of all is the upward tick in the state's childhood obesity, which does not bode well for future longevity. In 2000, about 15.5 percent of kids were considered obese, and now that's above 17 percent.

This already concerns the state's public health officials, and it ought to worry lawmakers, school officials, parents and others who have some say in how Hawai'i addresses its looming wellness challenge.

Certainly, the state has taken great strides in expanding healthcare access to the needy and in curbing the smoking habit. These measures must be maintained, and even more aggressive health policies pursued, if residents are to continue living long, healthy lives in Hawai'i.