I always thought Green Bay was notorious for being the fattest, guess not. My city was on neither list.
Mr. Burns: You are of course familiar with our state usury laws? Homer:U-sur-y? Mr. Burns: Oh silly me, I must have just used a word that doesn't exist.
WOO HOO! The civic push to get our lard-asses in gear has moved Chicago from 2nd to 5th fattest city in the country.
You can't combine the goodness of Chicago-style pizza and the suffering of our sports teams and hope for other results. We drown our sorrows in high-cholesterol goodness.
Toil not to gain wealth, cease to be concerned about it. Proverbs 23:4
Does any of this really matter. Consider that the guidelines are suspect: Gyms/Sporting Goods Composite score, equally weighing (a) total number of clubs, gyms and fitness studios ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com; and (b) total number of sporting-goods retailers ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com.
Nutrition Composite score, equally weighing (a) average frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption (percent that consumes five or more servings per day) in state-level data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; and (b) total number of health-food stores ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com.
Exercise/Sports Total participation in 103 sports and fitness-related activities. Measured by participants per 100 residents for the top 30 metropolitan statistical areas and by state. State-level data used for Austin, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Tulsa and Wichita. Honolulu, not surveyed, was given an average score. Data from the Superstudy of Sports Participation Geographic Supplement, from American Sports Data Inc.
Overweight/Sedentary Composite score according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, equally weighing (a) percentage of state population that is obese; (b) percentage of state population at risk for health problems related to being overweight; (c) percentage of state population at risk for health problems related to lack of exercise; and (d) percentage of state population not participating in physical activity.
Junk Food Total number of fast-food outlets, pizza parlors, ice cream shops and doughnut stores ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com.
Alcohol Composite score, equally weighing (a) total number of bars/taverns ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com; and (b) apparent alcohol consumption by state, from the surveillance report of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
TV Metered Market HUT (Homes Using Television) Analysis, Primetime, June 1, 2002, through May 31, 2003, from Nielsen Media Research. Average scores assigned to Albuquerque, Austin, El Paso, Fresno, Honolulu, Jacksonville, Tulsa, Omaha and Wichita.
Air Quality The air-quality index is based on annual reports from the Environmental Protection Agency. The number of ozone-alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of pollutants, including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. From Sterling's Best Places.
Climate The climate index is based on National Weather Service data combining estimated annual days above 32 degrees and below 90 degrees, amounts of precipitation and sunshine, and the August heat/humidity index.
Geography Accessible recreational forests, lakes, rivers, waterways, mountains, and ocean beaches, compiled from almanacs and additional sources.
Commute Based on the Travel Time Index, which measures traffic delays due to congestion, according to the Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University. Average score for small cities assigned to Tulsa and Wichita.
Parks/Open Space Composite score, equally weighing (a) total acreage per 10,000 population of federal and state recreation areas plus all listed water areas, from the Places Rated Almanac; (b) number of city parks per 10,000 population, according to a 2003 Men's Fitness custom survey; and (c) acres of city parks and recreational open space per 10,000 population, according to a 2003 Men's Fitness custom survey.
Recreation Facilities Composite score based on totals per 10,000 population, from a 2003 Men's Fitness custom survey, equally weighing (a) number of public basketball courts; (b) number of public swimming pools; (c) number of public tennis courts; and (d) number of public golf courses.
Health Care Based on city-by-city ranking of health resources and access as measured by Places Rated Almanac.
I don't see much that would concretely make a city fit or fat. Besides, it looks like there is a natural bias against some cities(such as Detroit) or for some cities(Honolulu)
Cheesesteaks. Hoagies. Pizzas. Carb-loaded soft pretzels. And Philly, a former champion, drops to SEVENTH?
We wuz robbed.
"As far as my lack of professional courtesy and my obvious immature humor in referring to using your head as a pickle jar, well, I reserve my courtesy for those whom I respect. Your lack of personal integrity has given me much grief, and I find that thinking of your hollowed-out head sitting on top of my fridge and providing a safe haven for pickles is a comforting thought." -- the immortal Bill Mattocks
Well how about that--Denver and Colorado Springs at 4th and 5th fittest. I think me dropping over 30 lbs between the start of my job and now might have something to do with that.
Originally posted by GrimisDoes any of this really matter. Consider that the guidelines are suspect: Gyms/Sporting Goods Composite score, equally weighing (a) total number of clubs, gyms and fitness studios ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com; and (b) total number of sporting-goods retailers ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com.
Nutrition Composite score, equally weighing (a) average frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption (percent that consumes five or more servings per day) in state-level data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; and (b) total number of health-food stores ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com.
Exercise/Sports Total participation in 103 sports and fitness-related activities. Measured by participants per 100 residents for the top 30 metropolitan statistical areas and by state. State-level data used for Austin, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Tulsa and Wichita. Honolulu, not surveyed, was given an average score. Data from the Superstudy of Sports Participation Geographic Supplement, from American Sports Data Inc.
Overweight/Sedentary Composite score according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, equally weighing (a) percentage of state population that is obese; (b) percentage of state population at risk for health problems related to being overweight; (c) percentage of state population at risk for health problems related to lack of exercise; and (d) percentage of state population not participating in physical activity.
Junk Food Total number of fast-food outlets, pizza parlors, ice cream shops and doughnut stores ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com.
Alcohol Composite score, equally weighing (a) total number of bars/taverns ranked per 100,000 population, from YellowPages.com; and (b) apparent alcohol consumption by state, from the surveillance report of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
TV Metered Market HUT (Homes Using Television) Analysis, Primetime, June 1, 2002, through May 31, 2003, from Nielsen Media Research. Average scores assigned to Albuquerque, Austin, El Paso, Fresno, Honolulu, Jacksonville, Tulsa, Omaha and Wichita.
Air Quality The air-quality index is based on annual reports from the Environmental Protection Agency. The number of ozone-alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of pollutants, including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. From Sterling's Best Places.
Climate The climate index is based on National Weather Service data combining estimated annual days above 32 degrees and below 90 degrees, amounts of precipitation and sunshine, and the August heat/humidity index.
Geography Accessible recreational forests, lakes, rivers, waterways, mountains, and ocean beaches, compiled from almanacs and additional sources.
Commute Based on the Travel Time Index, which measures traffic delays due to congestion, according to the Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University. Average score for small cities assigned to Tulsa and Wichita.
Parks/Open Space Composite score, equally weighing (a) total acreage per 10,000 population of federal and state recreation areas plus all listed water areas, from the Places Rated Almanac; (b) number of city parks per 10,000 population, according to a 2003 Men's Fitness custom survey; and (c) acres of city parks and recreational open space per 10,000 population, according to a 2003 Men's Fitness custom survey.
Recreation Facilities Composite score based on totals per 10,000 population, from a 2003 Men's Fitness custom survey, equally weighing (a) number of public basketball courts; (b) number of public swimming pools; (c) number of public tennis courts; and (d) number of public golf courses.
Health Care Based on city-by-city ranking of health resources and access as measured by Places Rated Almanac.
I don't see much that would concretely make a city fit or fat. Besides, it looks like there is a natural bias against some cities(such as Detroit) or for some cities(Honolulu)
I was about to post this exact list. I'm continually amazed at what passes as legitimate news these days. To say that this list is meaningless is an understatement. I guess all you have to do these days is put together a list, make some dubious claim (such as this one, apparently they feel that they can accurately rank cities fattness based on such things as geography and traffic flow), and get some people to take it seriously.
Everything that is wrong in this world can be blamed on Freddie Prinze Jr.
Well, the main thing is, it should get you thinking about what your city is doing to help promote fitness of its citizens. There's no question that obesity is out of control across North America.
Out of curiosity, what do you think would be legitimate statistics for ranking fitness?
I'm just flabbergasted as how we didn't even rank for the 25 fattest and ended up as the 13th fittest. Maybe I need to get out more and see how that could possibly be true.
Wow.Louisville sucked on this one. I dunno what they mean by all this. Quality of life, my butt. Since I moved down here 9 yrs ago from Chi, I know I am more relaxed, I know I am in the car less, I know I walk more, I know that the Bar-b-q is better than the Pizza.
although, being on an island in the middle of the pacific ocean as opposed to being crammed somewhere in the continental U.S. *would* make our air quality, and whatever "quantitative" evidence they used, better.