As interest groups keep rolling out studies ranking the states on various matters, Montanans are accustomed to faring poorly (income levels, alcohol-related fatalities, etc.).

But this week saw a couple of studies that made our state look good.

One involved SAT results, where graduating Montana high school seniors once again averaged far better than the national average. In the "critical reading" part of the test, the national average score was 502, while Montana students averaged 538. In math, where the score averaged 515 nationally, Montana's average score was 543. As for writing, Montana also came out ahead, 522 to 494.

Unfortunately, there's a bit of a catch. Only 2,873 Montana took the SATs, down from 3,024 last year. Because it is likely that many of the state's better students were among the test takers, they were expected to score higher than the average in, say, New York or Maine where every students takes the test.

The other survey involved obesity, and reported that Montanans were leaner than the residents of 43 other states. It said nearly 21 percent of adults in the state are obese, compared to Mississippi, the fattest state at 31 percent.

Unfortunately, once again there's more to say. It turns out that back in 1991, fewer than 10 percent of the state's residents were obese, so the trend is very much in the wrong direction. And this year more than half of us - 58 percent - were either obese or overweight.

Why must there always be the rest of the story?