2007 Fittest/Fattest City Rankings

[Coyote]

Men's Fitness Magazine has released its 9th annual "Fittest and Fattest Cities in America Poll" and Omaha moves up the list after several years of declining.

Here’s the Top 25 list of fittest cities:
1. Albuquerque, N.M.
2. Seattle
3. Colorado Springs, CO
4. Minneapolis
5. Tucson, AZ
6. Denver
7. San Francisco
8. Baltimore
9. Portland
10. Honolulu
11. Washington, D.C.
12. Omaha, NE
13. Tulsa, OK
14. Boston
15. Virginia Beach, VA
16. Milwaukee
17. Sacramento
18. Louisville-Jefferson, KY
19. Columbus, OH
20. Philadelphia
21. Austin, TX
22. Nashville-Davidson
23. Charlotte
24. Atlanta
25. Oakland, CA

Here’s the Top 25 list of fattest cities:

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

2006 #25
2005 #16
2004 #11

2006 Fittest/Fattest City Rankings  
2005 Fittest/Fattest City Rankings

[Stargazer]

As much as I enjoy seeing Omaha near the top of some of these lists... this has to be one of the more ridiculous.

Be sure to post this one down at the KC forum D'Shawn.

[DTO Luv]

I don't think their fat hearts could take it.

[edsas]

I don't think their fat hearts could take it.

The news media in LA always scratches their collective heads over this annual list, as LA's rank is always pretty much opposite what this city thinks of as the typical Angeleno.

In all honesty, though, I don't notice an over abundance of fat people here. I have seen some super-fat people, though. Maybe they tip the scales toward the negative end.

[Andrew]

Looks like the saying holds true that everything's bigger in Texas.

[ModestMouse]

eh, the one thing that bothers me about the list is the ,NE after Omaha.

[Omaha Cowboy]

These annual rankings almost always make me roll my eyes..But they're fun conversation fodder to joke around with your friends while having coffee, a beer etc..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

[2Adam29]

eh, the one thing that bothers me about the list is the ,NE after Omaha.

don't worry yourself too bad, I recognize all of these cities. There's no need for a state after any of them.
what would be bad is if only tiny cities had states after them, and so did we.

Good:

Oakland, CA
Los Angeles
Omaha, NE
Kansas City, MO
Portland, OR

Bad:

Oakland
Bay Cove, FL
Tucson
Omaha, NE
Virginia Beach

[UNOstudent]

2009 Rankings by Men's Health Magazine

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/wei ... ties_N.htm

1. Salt Lake City
2. Colorado Springs
3. Minneapolis
4. Denver
5. Albuquerque
6. Portland, Ore.
7. Honolulu
8. Seattle
9. Omaha
10. Virginia Beach
11. Milwaukee
12. San Francisco
13. Tucson
14. Boston
15. Cleveland
16. St. Louis, Mo.
17. Austin, Texas
18. Washington, D.C.
19. Sacramento, Calif.
20. Oakland, Calif.
21. Atlanta
22. Fresno, Calif.
23. Tampa, Fla.
24. Nashville-Davidson, Tenn.
25. Pittsburgh, Pa.
26. Kansas City, Mo.
27. San Diego
28. Indianapolis
29. Phoenix-Mesa
30. Los Angeles-Long Beach
31. Philadelphia
32. Raleigh, NC
33. Columbus, Ohio
34. Baltimore
35. Tulsa, Okla.
36. San Jose, Calif.
37. Fort Worth-Dallas-Arlington
38. Chicago
39. Detroit
40. Memphis
41. Louisville-Jefferson, Ky.
42. Charlotte
43. Jacksonville
44. El Paso
45. Houston
46. New York
47. Las Vegas
48. San Antonio
49. Oklahoma City
50. Miami

The editors worked with a research firm to examine the nation's 50 largest cities/metropolitan areas and grade them in more than a dozen categories, including the percentage of overweight citizens and the number of fitness centers and sports stores.

Miami received poor marks because of a large number of overweight people, a high rate of TV viewing among residents, long commutes and poor air quality. The city has almost three times as many fast-food restaurants as the average city. And participation is low in outdoor activities such as biking, running and fitness walking.

Claudia Gonzalez, a registered dietitian in Miami, says the city doesn't invite people to walk and exercise because of all the highways.

"If you walk in some areas, people look at you like you are strange — like, 'Why are you walking when everyone else is driving?' " Exceptions include Miami Beach, Coconut Grove and South Beach, she says.

Gonzalez says she works with immigrants and finds that many choose inexpensive, high-calorie foods at fast-food restaurants, and they cook the wrong things at home. "They think about budgets and prices and tend to buy what is on sale. They aren't aware of the good choices they could be making when eating out and at home," she says.

On the other hand, Salt Lake City got high marks for its lower obesity rates, many athletically motivated residents, low TV viewing and abundance of parks and fitness centers.

"These residents are motivated to keep themselves fit," Johnson says. "They are four times more likely to swim for fitness than people in Miami, and Salt Lake City has 11 times more public park acreage per capita than Miami does," Johnson says. "They talk the talk and walk the walk — and sweat."

Fattest/Fittest city in USA over the years
               Fattest       Fittest
2009 Miami       Salt Lake City
2008 Las Vegas       Colorado Springs
2007 Las Vegas        Albuquerque
2006 Chicago        Baltimore
2005 Houston        Seattle
2004 Detroit        Honolulu
2003 Houston        Honolulu
2002 Houston        Colorado Springs
2001 Houston        San Diego
2000 Philadelphia San Diego
1999 New Orleans San Diego

Looking back at old rankings for Omaha
2004- 11th
2005 - 16th
2006- 25th
2007- 12th
2008- ?
2009- 9th

[UNOstudent]

From Men's Health website

- Nebraska is one of 28 states that participate in a CDC-sponsored program to reduce obesity and other chronic diseases.

- Golfers can choose from 9 city-owned courses. Relative to population, that's more than almost anywhere else we surveyed.

- Omaha residents are 96 percent more likely than average to play recreational baseball. For you stat fans, that's the highest participation rate in our survey.

http://www.mensfitness.com/lifestyle/217

[Stargazer]

Once upon a time... Omaha was called the 'softball capital of the world'.

[Bosco55David]

Impressive!