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Men's Fitness Feb, 2006

How fit is America?

Jeff Lucia
EIGHT YEARS AGO, WHEN WE DECIDED TO PUBLISH OUR FIRST annual ranking of fit and fat metropolises, we could have just hit a few shopping malls with scales and fat calipers, scribbled some numbers on a clipboard, and called it a day. But we wanted to get people talking about what really causes obesity in America--and we wanted to get people doing something about it. So we spent months analyzing the things that affect Americans most. We looked for patterns in the amount of exercise we get, what kind of food we eat, the amount of TV we watch, and the sports we play. We read weather reports, counted pizza parlors, and pestered park departments. We even put some pressure on your local elected officials. After amassing a super-size collection of data and crunching some numbers, we released our findings that detailed the fittest and fattest--and we've been doing it ever since.

But a funny thing happened along the way. We noticed something interesting: Instead of maintaining the conventional view of obesity as a problem of individual overindulgence, a growing number of medical experts started looking at America's fat epidemic as a public-health problem, exploring connections between people's waistlines and things like the environment they live in. Eight years later, open any public-health journal or visit any research conference today and you'll find a growing body of evidence that the causes of obesity are all around us, from limited recreational opportunities to air pollution, TV watching, zoning that allows too many drive-thrus, and an epidemic of less and less time to exercise. It proved to us that the MF message is getting through. But change is hard.

As anybody who's spent enough time in the gym to tell a deltoid from a dumbbell knows, making progress means changing your routine every once in a while. And while cities have responded to our survey over the years by increasing public space and promoting civic change, there's still a lot of work to be done.

So this year, in order to provide the most complete and thorough examination of the state of fitness in America in 2006, we decided to add a couple of new dimensions to our rankings. In addition to the factors we'd been measuring all along, we decided to look at things like motivation: Were people exercising when the weather was lousy, or were they lazing around even when they were surrounded by an exercise-friendly climate? How crowded--and safe--were the local running trails? How often were people using their gym memberships?

And most important this year, we decided it was time to really examine civic legislation and leadership. After all, if obesity is an epidemic--a public-health emergency--shouldn't we expect our city leaders to do something about it, such as require developers to build open spaces and trails (instead of jammed-in housing tracts and drive-thru-laden strip malls) or create fitness- and health-education events? In examining these factors, we awarded points to cities that have enacted anti-obesity and fitness-promoting initiatives. We also selected three of the fittest mayors in America--leaders who put the health of their citizens above all else while also doing their best to lead a fit lifestyle outside the office. Which mayors made the cut? And more important, just how fit or fat is your hometown? Read on to find out.

THE FITTEST CITY BALTIMORE

How's this for surprising? Baltimore wasn't even on our Fittest Cities list last year. But a lot can change in 365 days. For starters, newly released data shows that the city has one of the healthiest diets around, with about half the average number of junk-food places per capita of all the cities in our survey. Over the last year, the city's citizens have begun to exercise more and watch less TV. Baltimore also has excellent air quality, one of the highest ratios of parks to population in our survey, and top-notch health care. Although locals lag in sports participation--perhaps because gyms and sporting-goods stores are rare within the city limits--citizens' use of public recreational facilities (basketball courts, swimming pools, tennis courts, and golf courses) ranks above average. And Mayor Martin O'Malley says he's working to make his populace more active: A regular walker, O'Malley makes it a point to promote local fitness events such as the Baltimore Marathon.

THE FATTEST CITY CHICAGO

Ever since we began doing this survey, Chicago has found itself in the ugly end of the rankings, although until now, it never quite earned Fattest City honors. This year, the City of Big Shoulders emerges as the metropolis with the biggest waistline. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey says almost six out of 10 residents are overweight enough that their size poses a significant threat to their health. Eight out of 10 Windy City residents also face health risks due to a lack of exercise. (In fact, more than 24% admitted that they hadn't had any physical activity in the past 30 days.) Maybe it's the famous weather: You've gotta have some serious chops to hit the jogging circuit when your nose is freezing faster than you can wipe it, or when it's hot and humid enough to make Roger Ebert sweat inside an air-conditioned theater.

Or maybe the problem is just that Chicagoans don't have time to exercise or eat right: The commute is the third worst of any city in our survey. Locals spend more time sacked out in front of the tube than any other city: According to data from Nielsen Media Research, folks in Chicago watch more hours of TV than people anywhere else in the country. And the folks in Ditkaville are no strangers to Duff--or any other beer for that matter. Local Homer Simpson wannabes are 31% more likely than average to drink five or more drinks at a time.

THE CITY MOST MOTIVATED TO CHANGE MINNEAPOLIS

Somehow we can't picture Prince zipping up his purple jogging suit and heading out for a run in single-digit January weather, but to the residents of The Artist's hometown, the harsh climate is no big deal. Their attitude: If it's frozen, play hockey on it; when it melts, go for a swim.

THE CITY LEAST MOTIVATED TO CHANGE MIAMI

For much of the year, while the rest of the country shivers, Miami enjoys sunshine and a remarkably comfortable climate--perfect for getting outside and being active, even if it's just for a short run or walk. But despite terrific weather, some of the best air quality anywhere, and more than twice the average number of miles of running trails among cities in our survey, Miami residents fall near the bottom in outdoor exercise--they're even less active than Chicagoans (who might legitimately blame the weather as an excuse). And while an average number of residents belong to gyms or health clubs, we have no idea what they're doing at the gym once they get there. The city ranks near the very bottom of the country in our assessment of 19 basic gym and health-club exercises (including use of free weights or cardio equipment).

THE LAZIEST CITY MEMPHIS

It's one thing for a city to have a relaxed pace. But what can we say about a place where more than one out of three adults admit that they haven't engaged in any form of physical activity--even vacuuming--in the last 30 days? In a CDC survey, Memphis residents were almost 60% less likely than average to engage in any kind of physical activity. Memphis may be known for Elvis, rock 'n' roll, and the blues, but when it comes to physical activity, Disgraceland would be a more appropriate nickname.

THE CITY THAT WATCHES THE LEAST TV SAN ANTONIO

TV sets in San Antonio are 36% less likely to be in use during any given hour than the average for cities in our survey, according to Nielsen Media Research. But it's not as if residents are turning off Desperate Housewives to go for a stroll around their local version of Wisteria Lane: In a CDC survey, 22% of San Antonio men and women admitted that they hadn't gotten any exercise in the past 30 days.

THE JUNK-FOOD CAPITAL HOUSTON

Last year's Fattest City takes the crown (the paper kind you get at the drive-thru) for most junk-food joints per capita, toppling two-time title holder Cleveland. Blame it on urban sprawl; consumer demand for McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, and Wendy's (per capita, Houston has 70% more fast-food places than the average city in our survey); and a staggering appetite for doughnuts: 120% higher than average.

THE MOST ATHLETIC CITY MINNEAPOLIS

Twin Cities residents are nuts for sports, topping the charts with the highest participation levels in activity after activity. There are snow sports in winter (which, if you believe the local lore, sometimes lasts through June); and canoeing, cycling, golf, soccer, tennis, and just about any other sport you can think of in summer. And swimming year-round: On a per capita basis, the number of recreational swimmers in Minneapolis exceeds the number of people who engage in any other activity--including walking--in any other city.

THE LEAST ATHLETIC CITY PHILADELPHIA

Last year, we named San Antonio as the town where sports go to die. This year, Philly scrapes the bottom in the sports-participation category. It's not as if there aren't opportunities: Philly has more basketball courts per capita than any other city in our report aside from Honolulu. But residents are only slightly more likely than average to actually shoot hoops. And in a study of more than 100 sports activities, the City of Brotherly Love came in dead last. While it might make sense that Philly residents come in near the bottom of the list for, say, waterskiing (and they do), that shouldn't be the case for jogging and calisthenics--both activities in which Philly ranked second last. Maybe more Philadelphians should live by Mayor John F. Street's example--he's followed a daily exercise routine for years.

THE CITY THAT DRINKS THE MOST ALCOHOL MILWAUKEE

For the second year running, Old Milwaukee * boasts more bars and taverns than anywhere else in our survey, and in one study, more than one out of five residents admitted to having recently pounded more than five drinks at a sitting--also the highest of any city in our survey. (* We used the same joke last year, but hey, we figure Milwaukeeans were too inebriated to remember it.)

THE CITY THAT DRINKS THE LEAST ALCOHOL MEMPHIS

Maybe it's all those blues songs about the evils of the bottle, but Memphis has more nondrinkers than any of the 50 largest U.S. cities--and according to a recent CDC survey, more than six out of 10 Memphis residents hadn't had so much as a sip of a mint julep or any other alcohol for at least a month. (But if you really want to go somewhere you can buy drinks for the house with pocket change, head for Provo, Utah, where less than 15% of adults drink at all. Although the city would easily top Memphis' ranking, it doesn't appear in our overall ranking because its population is too small to make the cut.)

THE CITY WITH THE LEAST FREE TIME LOS ANGELES

The City of Angels bedevils its residents with the most hellish commute in America, leaving far less time for exercising, sleeping, or even preparing healthy food. According to Texas A&M University's 2005 Urban Mobility Report, traffic is so congested at peak times that it takes 75% longer to travel the same distance than during uncongested hours.

THE CITY WITH THE MOST FREE TIME ARLINGTON, TX

Arlington commuters spend only 7% more time in traffic during peak traffic periods than they do during free-flowing traffic, leaving more time for exercising or making dinner at home instead of hitting the local drive-thru after sitting in traffic. A hassle-free commute also means lower stress levels for Arlingtonians--and stress has been shown to contribute to both obesity and illness.

THE CITY WITH THE MOST FITNESS-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT VIRGINIA BEACH

Combine excellent air quality, moderate year-round temperatures, and plenty of sunshine, and you get Virginia Beach. Runner-up: San Diego.

THE CITY WITH THE WORST EATING HABITS WICHITA

What's the matter with Kansas? No matter what your political views, there's no debating the fact that Wichitans take the cake--the whole dessert tray, actually--in this category. There are 37% more fast-food places per capita here than the average for our survey, but only about half the average per capita number of health-food stores. Just one out of five adults eats the minimum recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables per day. But for the city that invented Pizza Hut, that's not that surprising.

THE CITY WITH THE BEST EATING HABITS MIAMI

With 38% more people eating the recommended daily minimum of five servings of fruit and vegetables than average along with the most health-food stores per capita, Miami tops the chewing chart when it comes to good eating habits. The one unsweet spot: There are more ice-cream places here than any other city we surveyed--a fact we can stand to overlook, given the heat.

Data compiled by RFG Research, Enchinitas, Calif. Researchers: Joke Knight, Lynn Dahl-Kundin, Natasha Chin, and Rick Minerd.

For more information on survey sources and methods, visit mensfitness.com.

TOP 25 FITTEST CITIES

THIS YEAR LAST YEAR

1. Baltimore 25
2. Honolulu 2
3. Virginia Beach 12
4. Tucson 8
5. Milwaukee 15
6. Colorado Springs 3
7. San Francisco 4
8. Seattle 1
9. Louisville-Jefferson N/A
10. Boston 11
11. Sacramento 7
12. Nashville-Davidson 25
13. Albuquerque 10
14. Tulsa 22 *
15. Phoenix 12 *
16. Atlanta 23 *
17. Portland 6
18. Washington. D.C. 23
19. Oakland 20
20. Denver 5
21. Minneapolis 13
22. Arlington, TX 22
23. Austin 19
24. Jacksonville 18
25. Omaha 16

* Ranking in the top 25 Fattest Cities last year

TOP 25 FATTEST CITIES

THIS YEAR LAST YEAR

1. Chicago 5
2. Las Vegas 9
3. Los Angeles 21
4. Dallas 6
5. Houston 1
6. Memphis 4
7. Long Beach 20
8. El Paso 11
9. Kansas City 18
10. Mesa 15
11. Indianapolis 13
12. San Antonio 10
13. Fort Worth 14
14. Miami 19
15. Detroit 3
16. Columbus 16
17. Oklahoma City 21
18. Cleveland 24 *
19. Wichita 17
20. Charlotte 24
21. San Diego 9
22. Fresno 14 *
23. Philadelphia 2
24. San Jose 17 *
25. New York 8

* Ranking in the top 25 Fittest Cities last year