HealthNews Dozen: 12 Fattest (and 12 Fittest) Cities in America

Taking the good with the bad is an age-old mantra, and this list is no different. In order to rank the fattest cities in America, it is only fitting to also provide a list of the fittest cities. It balances out and sends one solid message about the metropolitan cities of America and how equipped they are—or are not—to encourage their residents to lead healthy lives.

For the 11th year in a row, Men’s Fitness conducted a study of the 50 most populated cities in the United States by using various data, such as the availability of parks and biking trails, the number of fast-food restaurants as compared to healthier fares, and programs available to residents that encourage health and fitness. And to even it all out, there were 25 cities on the fattest list and 25 cities ranking as the fittest.

The list above represents the top 12 on the fattest cities list, with the beach locale of Miami coming in as the most unfit city in America. It might come as a surprise, considering beach wear and hot temperatures can make people strive to look their best. And Men’s Fitness also indicated that there is a wide availability of running and biking trails throughout the city. However, residents of the city are 35 percent less likely than average to use them. In addition, and possibly most importantly, the major of Miami has determined fitness programs to be fairly unimportant, as he participates in fewer than the majority of mayors around the country.

Coming in second on the fattest list was Oklahoma City, with a population that boasts eating only 17 percent of the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables each day. San Antonio ranked third, and the study noted that only 12 percent of its population has a health club membership and only 2 percent have a home gym. Overall, the majority of the cities on the fattest list were located in the southeast corner of the country or the East Coast, with only three California cities, one in Arizona, and one in Nevada making it to the list to represent the West Coast.

On the other hand, the top 25 fittest cities started off with the following dozen:
1.  Salt Lake City, UT
2.  Colorado Springs, CO
3.  Minneapolis, MN
4.  Denver, CO
5.  Albuquerque, NM
6.  Portland, OR
7.  Honolulu, HI
8.  Seattle, WA
9.  Omaha, NE
10.  Virginia Beach, VA
11.  Milwaukee, WI
12.  San Francisco, CA

Salt Lake City made it to the top of the list with ease, with 363 percent of its residents more likely to play racquetball than those in other cities, and 32.8 of its residents participating in regular running or jogging routines. And 29 percent of the people exercise with dumbbells, which was higher than any other city in the survey. Despite its weather conditions not always being favorable to outdoor exercise or easy gym access, people seem dedicated to stay fit nonetheless.

Colorado Springs and Minneapolis experience the same seasonal challenges as Salt Lake City, yet people in both cities find their way to places to hike, run, or jog. Colorado Springs offers easy commutes to its residents, which allows more time for gym visits and healthy meal preparation. And Minneapolis finds a great number of its residents playing basketball and tennis, more than in any other city.

The point of the survey was to bring attention to cities in America may want to look into progressing into a healthier age, for the sake of its residents. Their overall health depends on it, which affects their productivity and the health care costs of the city, among other things. By putting more emphasis on public health programs, making exercise facilities and areas more accessible, and encouraging employers to offer exercise incentives, cities could find their inhabitants healthier and their names off next year’s fattest list.