Hey Miami, you're fat. This might be news to lots of people whose only images of Miami include Art Deco buildings and white-sand beaches, but to those of us who know the area a bit better than that, it isn't that surprising.* (Although, top of the list? Really?) Despite the good weather, we don't walk or ride bikes much. And we've got some of the worst commutes in the country. Here's what the report had to say about our fair city:
So much for the South Beach Diet. While Miami's nightlife and shores don't lack for buff bodies, the majority of residents should probably put a shirt on (61.5% of Miami residents are heavy enough to increase their risk for weight-related health problems). Though Miami has a high number of health-food stores per capita, it also has almost three times the fast-food restaurants as the average city. The area also has 79% more gyms and health clubs than average, but residents are less likely than average to regularly use their memberships.
"Because we have year-round warm weather, many people opt to walk, run, or take part in outdoor activities for their fitness," says Kelly Penton, director of communications for the mayor's office. Actually, they don't. Miamians also scored poorly in motivation due to low participation rates in outdoor activities like biking, running, and fitness walking despite a relatively pleasant climate most of the year. The city's commute (50% more oppressive than average) and air quality (ranked the worst in our survey according to EPA standards) certainly don't help matters either.
Our restaurant-related problems include: state law limiting obesity-related lawsuits against manufacturers and restaurants (some of us would say that's a good thing...), the prevalence of fast-food restaurants (we apparently have 31 percent more than the average) and pizza joints (74 percent per capita more than average!), and the popularity of ice cream shops (apparently 141 percent more; dude, it's hot!).
The points deductions towards the end of the article are especially ridiculous; apparently, we are all less likely to play golf or use abdominal machines or stairmasters. And for this, we are deemed the fattest city in America. Yeah, not sure I believe that. Still, getting out of the car and onto the bike more often would be a good thing, especially at this time of year when the weather leans more towards perfect than oppressively hot. And picking up lunch from places like Nature's Way Cafe and Last Carrot might be a good start.
2009 Fittest/Fattest Cities [Men's Health]
Nature's Way Cafe [MenuPages]
Nature's Way Cafe [Official Site]
Last Carrot [MenuPages]
Last Carrot [Official Site]
* What is surprising: Miami is so much fatter than Chicago, which came in at 13th. I've lived in both cities, and I do not believe that the latter's residents are significantly thinner than the former's. There is zero incentive to be thin when it's cold for nine months out of the year.