American College of Sports Medicine has ranked U.S. cities according to health and health potentials.
"As urban areas attract more and more residents, it's imperative for cities to create a built environment, fund amenities and form policies that get residents active and encourage healthy lifestyles," Walter Thompson, Ph.D., chair of the AFI Advisory Board said in a statement according to The Huffington Post.
"ACSM developed the program in 2007 to provide an evidence- and science-based measurement of the state of health and fitness at the community level throughout the U.S. Communities, organizations and individuals will be able to assess factors that contribute to health and fitness and measure the progress," said ACSM's website.
The program was created in partnership with the Wellpoint Foundation. The team looked at personal health indicators of city residents and things like urban space.
"That means rates of obesity and hypertension are important. But so too are things like public parks, farmer's markets and opportunities to commute via foot or bike. The team used data from surveys conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Selected Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System," reported The Huffington Post.
Minneapolis remains number one and scored high with its active population in the realm of physical fitness and active lifestyle.
"But even the winner had areas for improvement, including a low percentage of the population who ate enough fresh produce and a high percentage of the population who suffered from asthma," reported The Huffington Post. Washington DC came in second. They tend not to smoke and are conscientious about maintaining good health. However, the report showed a lack of park spaces.
Here's the top ten:
1. Minneapolis, Minnesota
2. Washington D.C.
3. Portland, Oregon
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Denver, Colorado
6. Boston, Massachuettes
7. Sacramento, California
8. Seattle, Washington
9. Hartford, Connecticut
10. San Jose, California
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
