Top 10 Healthiest Places To Live In America

It's a fact that Americans are some of the fattest people in the world. I decided to find out where America stands when it comes to the healthiest people in the world. How fit is the city you travel to or live in? The American Fitness Index conducts an annual report showing the best large cities for fit and active lifestyles. See which cities made the top 10.

No. 1: Minneapolis-St. Paul
The Minneapolis-St. Paul area ranked No. 1 for several reasons: more farmers’ markets, more people bike and walk to work, more dog parks, golf courses and playgrounds. The Minneapolis Farmers Market, established in 1937, is open each Saturday and has a Fresh & Local radio program on AM950 each Saturday at 8 am.

 2: Washington, DC
According to the report, more DC-area residents visit farmers’ markets and, in turn, eat a higher percentage of fruits and vegetables. Along with eating well, Washingtonians maintain an active lifestyle with the help of trails and closed roads (on the weekends) via Rock Creek Park and the Capital Crescent Trail.

No. 3: Boston, MA

Boston is no stranger

to bikers and walkers, who routinely commute between the college town of Cambridge and the downtown Boston area. Boston.com recently named 15 great bike rides. One is around the streets of Boston via Urban AdvenTours, which offers special guided tours through Fenway, the Avenue of the Arts, Back Bay, the South End, Copley Square, Charlestown, the North End, Beacon Hill and along the Charles River Esplanade.

No. 4: Portland, OR
The Portland area has more acres of parkland per capita (person) and that’s a wonderful thing because Pacific North westerners love the great outdoors. A mere 45 minutes southeast of Portland is Milo McIver State Park, a beautiful spot for various outdoor pursuits: camping, hiking, horseback riding, on- and off-road biking, fishing and more.

#5 Denver, Colo.

The Mile-High City's high ranking also shouldn't surprise, thanks to the city's prime location with easy access to all the recreational fun of the Rockies. Denver ranked high in the health of its residents, 61 percent of whom are ranked as in "excellent or very good" physical health. Cardiovascular disease rates are lower than average (altitude, anyone?) and Denver residents are less likely to be obese, have diabetes, have asthma, or die of heart disease. Denver boasts plenty of golf courses, dog parks swimming pools, and tennis courts, but surprisingly was cited for having fewer acres of parkland per capita than similar cities.

#6 San Francisco, Calif.

The greater San Francisco Bay Area, which was defined as including the East Bay as far south as Fremont, but not the peninsula or Marin County to the north, won points for all the factors you'd expect from Northern California, including a wealth of farmers' markets and other sources of fresh produce (26 percent of residents eat their 5+ servings a day). San Francisco residents smoke in record low numbers (8 percent compared to a national average of 18 percent!), have access to a ton of open space and parkland, are more likely to walk or bike to work, are less likely to be obese or have diabetes, and have access to a plenty of primary care providers. Interestingly, mental health was an issue for the region, with a higher percent reporting that "mental health was not good during the past 30 days." Could the region's notoriously high stress be taking a toll?

#7 Hartford, Conn.

Swimming pools, ball diamonds, golf courses, and recreation centers are all available to Hartford residents in much higher numbers than average, perhaps accounting for the high percent of residents who are active and in tip-top health. The area's residents are less likely to be obese or have diabetes, perhaps because they eat 5+ servings of fruit and veggies a day thanks to a record high number of farmer's markets. Access to a high number of health care providers, perhaps related to the area's high income level and high percentage of people with health insurance (86 percent) also contribute to Hartford's overall health. Lack of public transportation and a lower percent of people walking or biking to work were issues for Hartford, as are higher than average rates of asthma and coronary heart disease.

#8 Seattle, Wash.

The Northwest's propensity to eat well and spend a ton of time outdoors benefits Seattle, which boasts plenty of farmers' markets and a higher than average percentage of residents who are active and walk or bike to work. Seattle residents are less likely to smoke, have diabetes, or suffer from angina or coronary heart disease. Surprisingly, the Seattle area (which includes Tacoma and Bellevue) has less parkland available than many cities and fewer recreational facilities. Though plenty of dog parks, tennis courts, and a higher school physical education requirement, help

#9 Virginia Beach, Va.

The lucky denizens of Virginia Beach (which includes Norfolk and Newport News) are rich in parks, tennis courts, playgrounds, ball diamonds, and golf courses, boosting the activity level of this region above much of the South. A relatively affluent area, Virginia Beach benefits from excellent access to medical care, with a whopping 89 percent of residents having health insurance. The result? Lower than average rates of angina and heart disease, despite the fact that 20 percent of area residents smoke.

#10 Sacramento, Calif.

California's capital wins on many fronts, from golf courses to playgrounds, from dog parks to swimming pools, with plenty of parks and open space areas surrounding the city to boot. (It helps that they drew the boundary to include Roseville, Arden and Arcade so as to include those areas' parks and open spaces.) Sacramento residents are more likely to smoke and be obese than their neighbors in the Bay Area, but 30 percent also eat their fruits and veggies, probably due to Sacramento's location smack in the middle of California's produce-growing Central Valley.