Posted by Healthy Choice Naturals on Thu, Mar 19, 2009
According to a new to a new study which was the first-ever comprehensive "health report card" of the 50 largest metro areas in the U.S. and was based on key factors including health status, nutrition and exercise, mental health and life balance, San Jose topped the list as the healthiest city in America.
The Western U.S. dominated the top of the list and California alone had five cities in the top 10.
The healthiest cities in America for 2008 are:
- San Jose, Calif.
San Jose tops the ranking as America’s healthiest city based on its outstanding scores in the areas of health status, lifestyle choices and diet. In the separate categories, residents of San Jose reported the study’s best scores in mental wellness, rate of cigarette smoking and consumption of fruits and vegetables.
- Washington, D.C.
Washington D.C. surprisingly took second-place, scoring well in all five major categories, including the top score in mental wellness. Those living in Washington reported feeling well physically, mentally and emotionally and had high scores in dental care and BMI scores.
- San Francisco
San Francisco took third showing strong scores in all major categories except mental wellness. Its residents had the study’s highest scores in BMI and dental care and scored high in the physical activity category.
- Seattle-Bellevue-Everett
The Seattle metro area had the study’s best scores in the areas of physical activity and lifestyle pursuits. Respondents here reported the highest level of vigorous exercise.
- Salt Lake City-Ogden
Salt Lake City had its highest scores in the mental wellness and physical activity categories, and all the major categories were above average.
- Oakland, Calif.
Like the others, Oakland earned above-average scores in all five major categories. Oakland was particularly strong in health status, with low smoking and good dental care.
- Sacramento, Calif.
Sacramento was above average in four of the five major categories, ranking low only in mental wellness. Residents there also had one of the top scores for exercise.
- Orange County, Calif.
Orange County was very strong in the categories of mental wellness, lifestyle pursuits and physical activity. However its health status scores were weak, with high rates of arthritis and hypertension. It also had the study’s highest rate of occasional smoking.
- Denver
Denver was strong in all major categories, with the exception of the health status category. Denver residents reported one of the best BMI scores. They also reported a high level of physical activity.
- Austin-San Marcos, Texas
Austin received one of the highest scores in the category of physical activity, but one of the lowest in health status. Residents had one of the highest scores for vigorous activity and in the number of gyms and health clubs per capita.