Oklahoma City residents appear to be getting fatter.
A fitness survey of the 50 largest cities in the nation conducted by Men's Fitness magazine and released Monday shows Oklahoma City has moved up seven spots in the 2008 survey to No. 8 on the magazine's list of the ten fattest cities.
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Colorado Springs topped the list of the fittest cities, climbing two spots from No. 3, followed by Minneapolis, Albuquerque, N.M., Denver and Portland, Ore.Las Vegas once again was the fattest city, followed by four Texas cities — Arlington, San Antonio, Fort Worth and El Paso.
The magazine annually ranks the country's fittest and fattest cities based on 17 different categories that include things like sports participation, number of fitness centers and fast food restaurants per capita, and access parks and open spaces, recreational facilities and health care.
"The first thing we do, of course, is try to determine all of those things that affect someone's fitness," said Roy S. Johnson, editor-in-chief of Men's Fitness.
The 17 criteria fall into five general categories: healthy habits, risk factors, natural environment, urban environment, and attitudes and action.
"Those are the categories, and then we weight them according to how we feel they impact the citizenry," Johnson said. "Sports participation, obviously the amount of stuff people do where they get off their duffs and go outside, and the amount of parks and open space, we value that very highly."
Oklahoma scored poorly in the percentage of residents who are clinically obese and who hadn't reported any leisure time exercise in the last month. The city also ranked last in the number of basketball courts per capita and among the lowest for health club membership, use of stationary bicycles and participation in fitness walking.
The city received positive points for short commute times, low rates of alcohol consumption and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett's emphasis on fitness-related events.
Johnson said another initiative launched by Cornett earlier this year to encourage city residents to shed one million pounds should help the city in next year's ranking.
"Nothing bad can come of that," Johnson said. "Even if the city loses only a quarter of a million pounds, how bad is that? I would love to see the message also emphasize fitness and working out."
Cornett said Oklahoma City's inclusion on lists like the one in Men's Fitness is what prompted him to launch the Web site, www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com, which allows residents to track their weight loss and includes lists of healthy recipes and fitness centers in the city.
"I'm disappointed we're on the list, but not surprised," Cornett said. "This city sets a high standard for itself in so many areas, and when it comes to health, we set a low standard."
As of Monday, nearly 15,000 people had registered on the Web site and lost more than 26,000 pounds since Jan. 1. Cornett said the initiative has the city moving in the right direction.
"I see it and sense it," Cornett said. "I really feel like this initiative is the beginning of a cultural change in this community toward valuing its health.
"It's not the distance we travel. It's the direction that we turn."
Cornett said other health benefits should be realized from two separate bond issues approved by voters last year — one that includes funding for 350 miles of new sidewalks and another school bond issue that has funding to build new gymnasiums at each of the city's elementary schools.
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Isn't this a big surprise...make comment about the population of Oklahoma in general being fat, and almost zero responses...however...mention the NBA and watch the blogs come alive....the inferiority complex reigns supreme here....
Hey Ron...I'm pretty sure baldness is not something a person can do much about...and I'd be interested in hearing what your perception of ugly is.I'm pretty sure thats not a trait a person can do much about..however...being grossly FAT or more to the point when talking about OKC, OBESE..IS something that about 99% of the population can do something about..the other 1% has some medical reason for their condition, it just appears that the majority of people in OKC would rather belly up to the buffet line and gorge themselves rather than eat sensibly..and Okies ranking in heart attacks and stroke add proof to that...keep eating those big breakfast burritos or the big burgers(and make sure you get the onion ring as the final gob of artery clogging material as well) and eat yourselves to an early grave......
From the sound it Brett, people here are fat and dumb! If you could read, Las Vegas is #1 as far as being the fattest and okc is 8th with Houston being 10th...can you count? So that means okc is higher in fat than Houston and the other Texas cities are ranked higher than okc, so houston did not beat out okc or other Texas cities as you say! I think they must factor in the big fat stupid mouths we have here!
umm...and this is news??? HELLO, we already knew we were ranked one of the fattest cities - thus Mayor Cornett's diet plan. Let's get off the computer for awhile and go for a jog!
Keep wolfing down all that deep fried food and those massive chicken fried steaks...you guys already knew you were one of the fattest cities anyway...this is just another source passing on the information to the rest of the country....think about your status the next time you hit the drive through at your favorite fast food joint..or hit the feed trough at the buffet....
People in Houston are fat because they have some of the best restaurants in the US - you ought to go visit and try them. Plus the teachers get paid enough they can afford to go out and eat dinner! By the way I rank Mens Fitness magazines as one of the worst magazines to get reliable information.
Lawerence, Oklahoma City - Feb 11, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I love it when sanctimonious people dog fat people and they have their own problems ... like ugliness or baldness. I know this guy at work who does that and he is such a jerk and he wonders why women don't like him ... hmmm, could it be you're a jackass?
Hey facts are facts and man there are a lot of FAT
A-- people in OKC and actually Oklahoma! You fatty's need to push away from the dinner table more often and get up and walk some. YOU are to FAT and it shows. When a whole family of 5 from ages 5yrs to 30yrs old and the whole damn family is FAT and I mean FAT, that should be a signal shouldn't it?
The Fittest Cities in America:
1. Colorado Springs
2. Minneapolis
3. Albuquerque, N.M.
4. Denver
5. Portland, Ore.
6. Virginia Beach, Va.
7. Seattle
8. Honolulu
9. San Francisco
10. Milwaukee
The Fattest Cities in America:
1. Las Vegas
2. Arlington, Texas
3. San Antonio
4. Fort Worth, Texas
5. El Paso, Texas
6. Dallas
7. Miami
8. Oklahoma City
9. Mesa, Ariz.
10. Houston
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Throw more slop to the pigs, they never know when to stop eating. SLOP SLOP, UMMMMM GOOD !!!!!!!
A-- people in OKC and actually Oklahoma! You fatty's need to push away from the dinner table more often and get up and walk some. YOU are to FAT and it shows. When a whole family of 5 from ages 5yrs to 30yrs old and the whole damn family is FAT and I mean FAT, that should be a signal shouldn't it?