America's 10 Fittest Cities



No. 10: Austin, Texas

Overall score: 63.9

Obesity Rate: 22.5%

Exercise Rate: 78.4%

Austin has a high number of parks and pools per capita--and low rates of asthma and heart disease.





No. 9: Hartford, Conn.

Score: 64.4

Obesity Rate: 21.1%

Exercise Rate: 77.2%

Hartford denizens enjoy a disproportionate number of farmers' markets, baseball diamonds and golf courses--and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.





No. 8: San Francisco, Calif.

Score: 64.7

Obesity Rate: 18.4%

Exercise Rate: 81.5%

Low poverty rates in the Bay Area go hand in hand with lower rates of diabetes, smoking and obesity.





No. 7: Sacramento, Calif.

Score: 65.8

Obesity Rate: 21.4%

Exercise Rate: 82.3%

With a high percentage of people reporting they walk or bike to work, Sacramento exercises more than its western peer San Francisco.





No. 6: Denver, Colo.

Score: 69.9

Obesity Rate: 19.3%

Exercise Rate: 83%

The Mile High City has low rates of disability and heart disease.





No. 5: Portland, Ore.

Score: 70.4

Obesity Rate: 23.9%

Exercise Rate: 82.3%

Portland is dotted with dog parks, doctors' offices and "no smoking" signs--which add up to impressive health stats.





No. 4: Seattle, Wash.

Score: 70.5

Obesity Rate: 22.8%

Exercise Rate: 81.9%

The Pacific Northwest either produces or attracts healthy citizens. Seattle scores high by providing physical education classes for kids and tennis courts for adults.





No. 3: Minneapolis, Minn.

Score: 71.7

Obesity Rate: 23.9%

Exercise Rate: 84.3%

A penchant for exercise offsets slightly above-average obesity rates in the Twin Cities.






No. 2: Boston, Mass.

Score: 72.6

Obesity Rate: 19.9%

Exercise Rate: 78.6%

Boston's relatively affluent population avoids cigarettes and stays trim. The state also mandates that all its residents have health insurance.





No. 1: Washington, D.C.

Score: 73.5

Obesity Rate: 22.6%

Exercise Rate: 80.1%
America's fittest city is Washington D.C. It scores high on almost every measure of fitness, whether it's bicycling commuters, farmers' markets or recreation centers.

No comments:

Post a Comment