Healthier, higher-ranked cities received good scores on most of the qualifiers, and researchers believe it is due to the city officials’ responsiveness to citizen wants and needs.
“In short, the higher-ranked cities tend to have an ecosystem of health and fitness that starts early, and this is evident in their state regulations for school fitness, local healthcare programs and regulations, spending on outdoor space and exercise habits of residents,” pointed out BetterDoctor’s consumer insights researcher Divya Raghavan. BetterDoctor’s website matches patients with physicians.
Raghavan added: “The lower-ranked cities tended to have less parkland, higher obesity rates, and more stringent state requirements for physical education in schools.”
Unhealthiest Cities in the U.S.A.
A list of the unhealthiest cities from the 2015 American Fitness Report follows:
- Indianapolis, IN
- Memphis, TN
- Ft. Wayne, IN
- Ft. Worth, TX
- Arlington, TX
- El Paso, TX
- Tulsa, OK
- Lubbock, TX
- Detroit, MI
- Birmingham, AL
- Laredo, TX