How Does Your Hometown Weigh In?
Jan. 6, 2005 - Feeling hefty in Houston or svelte in Seattle? You're not alone. A new report shows that Houston once again weighs in as the fattest city in America while Seattle ranks as the fittest.
Men's Fitness magazine ranked the 50 largest U.S. cities based on a variety of factors related to obesityobesity and fitness, such as percentage of obese residents, recreation facilities, sports activities, and number of junk food outlets.
After crunching the numbers, Houston emerged as America's fattest city in 2005. Houston temporarily lost the top spot to Detroit in 2004 but held the dubious honor from 2001 to 2003.
Houston was joined by two other Texas cities in the top 10 fattest cities, Dallas and San Antonio, suggesting that bigger isn't necessarily better for the residents of the Lone Star state. Three other cities, Memphis, New Orleans, and New York, also bulked up and climbed more than 10 spots to make an appearance in the top 10.
On the positive side, the report shows that some cities are slimming down, as Seattle rose from No. 6 on the fittest list to No. 1, followed by Honolulu and Colorado Springs.
Here's how the rest fared:
| 25 Fattest Cities | ||
| Rank | City | Rank in 2004 |
| 1 | Houston | 2 |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 7 |
| 3 | Detroit | 1 |
| 4 | Memphis, Tenn. | 20 |
| 5 | Chicago | 5 |
| 6 | Dallas | 3 |
| 7 | New Orleans | 22 |
| 8 | New York | 21 |
| 9 | Las Vegas | 16 |
| 10 | San Antonio | 4 |
| 11 | El Paso, Texas | 24 |
| 12 | Phoenix | 18 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 17 |
| 14 | Fort Worth, Texas | 6 |
| 15 | Mesa, Ariz. | 12 |
| 16 | Columbus, Ohio | 10 |
| 17 | Wichita, Kan. | 16* |
| 18 | Kansas City, Mo. | 14 |
| 19 | Miami | 15 |
| 20 | Long Beach, Calif. | 23* |
| 21 | Oklahoma City | 13 |
| 22 | Tulsa, Okla. | 19 |
| 23 | Atlanta | 11 |
| 24 | Charlotte, N.C. | 22* |
| 25 | Baltimore | 23 |
| * Ranking in the top 25 fittest cities in 2004 | ||
| 25 Fittest Cities | ||
| Rank | City | Rank in 2004 |
| 1 | Seattle | 6 |
| 2 | Honolulu | 1 |
| 3 | Colorado Springs, Colo. | 5 |
| 4 | San Francisco | 2 |
| 5 | Denver | 4 |
| 6 | Portland, Ore. | 8 |
| 7 | Sacramento, Calif. | 10 |
| 8 | Tucson, Ariz. | 9 |
| 9 | San Diego | 14 |
| 10 | Albuquerque, N.M. | 12 |
| 11 | Boston | 7 |
| 12 | Virginia Beach, Va. | 3 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, Minn. | 18 |
| 14 | Fresno, Calif. | 15 |
| 15 | Milwaukee, Wis. | 21 |
| 16 | Omaha, Neb. | 11 |
| 17 | San Jose, Calif. | 20 |
| 18 | Jacksonville, Fla. | 13 |
| 19 | Austin, Texas | 19 |
| 20 | Oakland, Calif. | 17 |
| 21 | Los Angeles | 25 |
| 22 | Arlington, Texas | 8* |
| 23 | Washington | 25 |
| 24 | Cleveland | 9* |
| 25 | Nashville-Davidson, Tenn. | 24 |
| * Ranking in the top 25 fattest cities in 2004 | ||
