Amelia Finefrock
According to both scientists and government organizations, the percentage of obese adults in the U.S. has increased to 36.5 percent as lifestyles are becoming less active. Using criteria developed by the Center for Disease Control, researchers with ConsumerAdvocate.org highlighted the top 10 most healthy big cities.
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According to a WGN report, the CDC identifies five factors that can either aid or degrade a person’s health, which includes the following: Body Mass Index (BMI), physical activity, sleep, smoking patterns and drinking habits.
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BMI measures a person’s body fat in relation to his or her height as well as weight and can be mostly determined by diet and exercise. A “normal” and healthy BMI is in the 18.5-24.9 range, and a BMI over 30 is considered “obese.”
The remaining factors are considered behaviors, according to the report, which can influence the BMI as well as overall health and well being. Physical activity reportedly help with weight loss, reduced risk of disease, improved mental health and increased lifespan. Getting enough sleep, defined as 7+ hours per night, can help elevate alertness, reduce fatigue as well as boost mood.
According to WGN, both smoking and binge drinking show a negative decline in health, frequently causing potential organ damage, higher levels of stress, as well as even physical or mental dependence.
According to WGN and the CDC’s 2017 release, the behavioral health data was sourced from the 500 Cities project. WGN additionally reports and clarifies the overall “Health Score” was weighted equally in each behavioral health metric.
The following cities are considered the top ten of healthiest habits but spoiler alert, Chicago did not make the cut according to Untitled Visualization.
With a population of 2,695,598, binge drinking at 21.8%, a “currently smoke” of 18.5% PLUS cancer at a crude prevalence of 5% [excluding skin cancer]….Chicago needs to clean up its act.
10. Charlotte, NC | Health Score: 91.87
9. Los Angeles, CA | Health Score: 92.55
8. Austin, TX | Health Score: 93.2
7. Albuquerque, NM | Health Score: 93.68
6. Portland, OR | Health Score: 94.89
5. San Diego, CA | Health Score: 95.3
4. Denver, CO | Health Score: 95.78
3. San Francisco, CA | Health Score: 96.31
2. San Jose, CA | Health Score: 96.33
1. Seattle, WA | Health Score: 96.91
To see more on how the final scores were totaled, click here.
