D.C., Minneapolis and Denver fittest cities in America
INDIANAPOLIS – Washington, D.C., closely followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver, are the three fittest of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., according to the ninth annual American Fitness Index released Thursday by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem.
“The AFI has continually proven its value as a trusted measurement of the health of our metro areas, and it has also become a catalyst for urban and suburban leaders to shape infrastructures that promote healthy lifestyles and create positive outcomes,” stated Walter Thompason, chair of the AFI Advisory Board. “Our overarching goal is to offer communities and residents resources that can help them assess, plan and implement measures for a quality, healthier life.”
According to Anthem chief clinical officer Craig Samitt, promoting a healthy lifestyle begins with each individual. Samitt encourages all Americans to exercise for at least 30 minutes and participate in 10 minutes of stretching and light muscle training five days a week. “Modeling healthy behavior by incorporating activity into the weekday schedule and practicing good nutrition can improve fitness,” he said. “We’re proud to continue our partnership with ACSM on an initiative that is providing actionable data for communities to create a culture of healthy lifestyles.”
The nation’s capital leads the pack for the third straight year, Minneapolis-St. Paul came in second, and Denver moved up from sixth to third in 2016. The three top metro areas showed increased walking by residents using public transportation; more parkland for exercise; and lower cardiovascular and diabetes issues.
The Washington, D.C., region’s lower rate of smoking tipped the scales in its favor. Midwestern metro areas Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and Louisville, Ken. rank last in the index.
Nationally, there were some remarkable positive shifts in a few measures comparing values between the 2016 and 2015 reports:
Total scores increased for 30 MSAs (60%);
11.8% increase in the percentage of individuals who indicated they exercised in the last 30 days;
4.7% drop in the percentage who smoked;
7.4% drop in the diabetes death rates overall;
5.2% increase in total park expenditure per resident; and
Twice as many states had policies in 2016 that required teaching physical education at the elementary, middle or high school level.
Conversely, the 2016 AFI found that scores slipped for 19 MSAs from 2015 to 2016. MSAs experiencing the largest drop in scores included Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Fla., Sacramento, Calif., and San Diego.
The report also found a 7.7% increase in the percentage of the MSA population reporting a diagnosis of angina and a 7% increase in the percentage reporting a diagnosis of diabetes.
There were also some notable shifts in the rankings for individual MSAs. The rank changed five positions or more for nine MSAs (Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, Providence, R.I., Sacramento, Calif., and San Diego).