Fattest and Fittest U.S. Cities

01/13/2003

Fattest and Fittest U.S. Cities

"When we don't enjoy what we do, we only nick the surface of our potential."
– Dennis Wholey

FATTEST AND FITTEST US CITIES

In December 2001, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher blamed obesity for causing some 300,000 deaths annually in the US. He warned that obesity may soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause of preventable deaths.

For the past four years, Men's Fitness magazine has been studying the fitness factors in the 50 largest cities in the US, comparing such factors as mortality rates, percentages of overweight individuals, climate, availability of exercise facilities and public parks, fruit and vegetable consumption, TV watching, and junk food consumption. Based on these comparisons (as published at www.mensfitness.com), the following cities came out at the top and bottom of their fitness scale:

Top Ten Fattest Cities
1. Houston, Texas
2. Chicago, Illinois
3. Detroit, Michigan
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Dallas, Texas
6. Columbus, Ohio
7. San Antonio, Texas
8. Fort Worth, Texas
9. St. Louis, Missouri
10. Indianapolis, Indiana

Top Ten Fittest Cities
1. Colorado Springs, Colorado
2. Denver, Colorado
3. San Diego, California
4. Seattle, Washington
5. San Francisco, California
6. Virginia Beach, Virginia
7. Honolulu, Hawaii
8. Sacramento, California
9. Albuquerque, New Mexico
10. Boston, Massachusetts

Children's health and nutrition has been addressed several times in Beginnings Workshop in Child Care Information Exchange. For example, in the January, 2000 issue of Exchange, the focus of Beginnings Workshop was "Fitness and Health". In the May, 2002 issue of Exchange, "Child Nutrition" was the focus of Beginnings Workshop. Both of these and other related Beginnings Workshops can be ordered in the Exchange Bookstore at www.ChildCareExchange.com.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.