Tag: Rankings

Arlington, Virginia, es Nombrada “La Ciudad Más en Forma” en 2020 American Fitness Index® Ranking de los 100 mejores

La pandemia de COVID-19, la investigación subraya la importancia de la actividad física, la infraestructura en la batalla por la salud de la comunidad

Lisa Ramage (317) 352-3847 or Lramage@acsm.org (American College of Sports Medicine)

Mike Fulton (301) 651-2508 or MikeF@asheragency.com (Asher Agency)

Leslie Porras (202) 508-7891 or Leslie.Porras@anthem.com (Anthem Foundation)

Indianapolis (14 de julio, 2020) – Arlington, Virginia, ha sido nombrada “la ciudad más en forma de Estados Unidos” en el ranking anual American Fitness Index® publicado por el American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) y  Anthem Foundation, el brazo filantrópico de Anthem, Inc.

El ACSM/Anthem Fitness basado en la ciencia evaluó las 100 ciudades más grandes de los Estados Unidos utilizando 33 comportamientos de salud, enfermedades crónicas e indicadores de infraestructura comunitaria. Seattle, Wash.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Madison, Wis.; San Francisco, Calif.; Washington DC.; Irvine, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Boise, Idaho; y Boston, Mass., completan las 10 ciudades más en forma. Boston hace su primera aparición en el Top 10 este año. Puede acceder a los rankings y puntajes completos, el informe resumido, la herramienta de comparación de ciudades y otros datos en el sitio web del American Fitness en https://americanfitnessindex.org.

“Nos complace reforzar nuestro compromiso con nuestras comunidades locales y la salud y el bienestar de la persona integralmente con el Informe de Fitness Index de este año. Estas clasificaciones anuales ofrecen a las ciudades una guía significativa sobre los hábitos de salud dentro de sus comunidades y revelan cuán bien esas comunidades fomentan estilos de vida saludables entre sus residentes”, dijo Gail K. Boudreaux, presidenta y CEO de Anthem, Inc. “Nos complace proporcionar a los municipios la información rica en datos y recursos que necesitan para abordar los determinantes sociales de la salud y motivar a la acción”.

El evolucionante Fitness Index, ahora en su decimotercer año, permite a los líderes enfocarse en políticas, sistemas y estrategias de cambio ambiental que se basan en evidencia y crean sostenibilidad para sus comunidades.

El equilibrio de comportamientos saludables y la infraestructura comunitaria de Arlington le valieron el puesto número 1 en general. Arlington se ubicó en las 10 ciudades principales en 19 de los 33 indicadores en el ACSM/Anthem Fitness Index. Dos indicadores ocuparon el primer lugar, incluida la tasa más baja de adultos con obesidad y la tasa más alta de residentes que cumplen con las pautas de actividad aeróbica y de fuerza. Arlington se ha ganado el título de ciudad más en forma por tres años consecutivos. Puede comparar su ciudad con Arlington u otras en el ranking del Fitness Index accediendo a la Herramienta de Comparación de Ciudades en línea.

La pandemia de COVID-19 demuestra el papel fundamental que juegan las ciudades para garantizar que sus residentes tengan oportunidades e infraestructura para llevar estilos de vida saludables y físicamente activos. “Sabemos por la investigación que la actividad física puede desarrollar un sistema inmunológico más saludable y un bienestar general, lo que ayuda a minimizar los efectos nocivos cuando se esta enfermo y se tiene una enfermedad”, dijo Barbara Ainsworth, Ph.D., MPH, FACSM, presidente de la Junta Asesora del American Fitness Index. “Esta pandemia muestra la necesidad de tener parques localmente, senderos y aceras conectadas en todos los vecindarios que permitan a las personas hacer ejercicio de manera segura. Los líderes y planificadores de la ciudad deben actuar con intensidad y decisión para promulgar políticas y fondos para promover la actividad física, una mejor salud y comunidades más fuertes”.

Ainsworth también señala que los desafíos de salud social existían mucho antes de la pandemia, y el Fitness Index ha proporcionado los datos necesarios para abordarlos durante más de una década. “Debería ser motivo de preocupación nacional que solo uno de cada cuatro estadounidenses cumpla con las pautas nacionales de actividad física y que más de 30 millones hayan sido diagnosticados con una enfermedad cardíaca”, agrega. “Los estilos de vida sedentarios en los Estados Unidos cuestan más de $117 mil millones anualmente en servicios de atención médica, lo que afecta negativamente tanto la salud como el bienestar económico de nuestra nación. Este desafío tiene soluciones locales, y el Fitness Index es una receta para que las comunidades generen cambios positivos”.

Los hallazgos adicionales de los rankings del 2020 Fitness Index incluyen:

  • En las 100 ciudades, los indicadores mejoraron para la tasa de ejercicio de los residentes; menos personas fumando; parques a una distancia de 10 minutos caminando; y Bike Score, en comparación con 2019.
  • En Buffalo, Nueva York, Toledo, Ohio y Anchorage, Alaska, las clasificaciones mejoraron en al menos 15 puestos desde 2019.
  • Solo el 22% de los adultos en las 100 ciudades más grandes cumplieron con las pautas para actividades aeróbicas y de fuerza. Los adultos necesitan 150 minutos por semana de actividad de intensidad moderada, o aproximadamente 22 minutos por día, para obtener beneficios sustanciales para la salud.
  • En las 100 ciudades, solo el 4.5% de los residentes camina o va en bicicleta al trabajo y solo el 7% usa el transporte público. Boston, Mass.; Jersey City, N.J.; Nueva York, N.Y.; San Francisco, Calif.; y Washington, D.C., informaron los mayores porcentajes.
  • Los vecindarios conectados por aceras, carriles para bicicletas protegidos, iluminación y bancos reducen las muertes de peatones. Las características de seguridad pueden afectar la frecuencia con la que los residentes eligen caminar o andar en bicicleta. Las 10 ciudades más mortales para los peatones (cuatro están en Florida) tuvieron un promedio de 5,5 muertes de peatones por cada 100 residentes, mientras que las 10 ciudades más seguras promediaron 0,6 muertes por cada 100.000 residentes.
  • Las ciudades que experimentaron condiciones climáticas extremas llegaron al top 10: Minneapolis, Minn. (# 3); Madison, Wis. (#4); y Denver, Colo. (#8), que muestra que los líderes locales pueden facilitar que los residentes se mantengan físicamente activos durante todo el año.

Los rankings de 2020 ACSM/Anthem Fitness Index son los siguientes: hay disponibles más rankings de datos comparativos e indicadores en https://americanfitnessindex.org.

 

Overall Rank

 

1 Arlington, Va.
2 Seattle, Wash.
3 Minneapolis, Minn.
4 Madison, Wis.
5 San Francisco, Calif.
6 Washington, D.C.
7 Irvine, Calif.
8 Denver, Colo.
9 Boise, Idaho
10 Boston, Mass.
11 San Diego, Calif.
12 St. Paul, Minn.
13 Chicago, Ill.
14 Oakland, Calif.
15 San Jose, Calif.
16 Portland, Ore.
17 Honolulu, Hawaii
18 Atlanta, Ga.
19 Lincoln, Neb.
20 Sacramento, Calif.
21 New York, N.Y.
22 Pittsburgh, Pa.
23 Milwaukee, Wis.
24 Albuquerque, N.M.
25 Buffalo, N.Y.
26 Chula Vista, Calif.
27 Santa Ana, Calif.
28 Virginia Beach, Va.
29 Long Beach, Calif.
30 St. Petersburg, Fla.
31 Austin, Texas
32 Aurora, Colo.
33 Colorado Springs, Colo.
34 Durham, N.C.
35 Anaheim, Calif.
36 Raleigh, N.C.
37 Anchorage, Alaska
38 Norfolk, Va.
39 Jersey City, N.J.
40 Fremont, Calif.
41 Newark, N.J.
42 Omaha, Neb,
43 Orlando, Fla.
44 Los Angeles, Calif.
45 Tampa, Fla.
46 Richmond, Va.
47 Miami, Fla.
48 Plano, Texas
49 Lubbock, Texas
50 New Orleans, La.
51 Cincinnati, Ohio
52 Philadelphia, Pa.
53 Baltimore, Md.
54 Glendale, Ariz.
55 Reno, Nev.
56 Dallas, Texas
57 Cleveland, Ohio
58 Tucson, Ariz.
59 Riverside, Calif.
60 Greensboro, N.C.
61 Nashville, Tenn.
62 Hialeah, Fla.
63 Chandler, Ariz.
64 Scottsdale, Ariz.
65 Stockton, Calif.
66 Garland, Texas
67 Charlotte, N.C.
68 Mesa, Ariz.
69 Houston, Texas
70 Winston-Salem, N.C.
71 Phoenix, Ariz.
72 St. Louis, Mo.
73 Irving, Texas
74 Columbus, Ohio
75 Chesapeake, Va.
76 Fresno, Calif.
77 El Paso, Texas
78 Baton Rouge, La.
79 Kansas City, Mo.
80 Gilbert, Ariz.
81 Toledo, Ohio
82 Jacksonville, Fla.
83 Laredo, Texas
84 San Antonio, Texas
85 Corpus Christi, Texas
86 Lexington, Ky.
87 Henderson, Nev.
88 Las Vegas, Nev.
89 Louisville, Ky.
90 Fort Worth, Texas
91 Wichita, Kan.
92 Fort Wayne, Ind.
93 Arlington, Texas
94 Indianapolis, Ind.
95 Detroit, Mich.
96 Memphis, Tenn.
97 Tulsa, Okla.
98 North Las Vegas, Nev.
99 Bakersfield, Calif.
100 Oklahoma City, Okla.

 

Acerca de American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

ACSM es la organización de medicina deportiva y ciencias del ejercicio más grande del mundo. Más de 50.000 miembros y profesionales certificados en todo el mundo están dedicados a avanzar e integrar la investigación científica para mejorar las aplicaciones educativas y prácticas de la ciencia del ejercicio y la medicina deportiva. Como líder mundial en la promoción de los beneficios de la actividad física, ACSM aboga por una legislación que ayude al gobierno y la comunidad de la salud a hacer de la actividad física una prioridad. ACSM anima al Congreso a apoyar la financiación continua de parques, senderos y rutas seguras a la escuela para permitir que todos los estadounidenses cumplan con las recomendaciones de actividad física prescritas incluidas en las Pautas Nacionales de Actividad Física. Encuentre detalles en www.acsm.org.

Acerca de Anthem Foundation

Anthem Foundation es el brazo filantrópico de Anthem, Inc. y a través de contribuciones y programas de caridad, la Foundation promueve el compromiso inherente de Anthem, Inc. para mejorar la salud y el bienestar de las personas y familias en las comunidades que Anthem, Inc. y sus planes de salud afiliados sirven. La Foundation enfoca su financiamiento en iniciativas estratégicas que conforman su Programa Healthy Generations, una iniciativa multigeneracional que se enfoca en: salud materna, prevención de diabetes, prevención de cáncer, salud cardíaca y estilos de vida saludables y activos, esfuerzos de salud conductual y programas que benefician a las personas con discapacidades La Foundation también coordina el programa Dollars for Dollars de la compañía durante todo el año, que proporciona un 100 por ciento de las donaciones de los asociados, así como sus programas de servicio comunitario Volunteer Time Off y Dollars for Doers. Para obtener más información sobre Anthem Foundation, por favor visite http://www.anthem.foundation y su blog en https://medium.com/anthemfoundation.

 

# # #

2018 American Fitness Index Overview Infographic

According to the 2018 ACSM American Fitness Index, the top 10 fittest cities in the U.S. are:

  1. Arlington, VA
  2. Minneapolis, MN
  3. Washington, D.C.
  4. Madison, WI
  5. Portland, OR
  6. Seattle, WA
  7. Denver, CO
  8. St. Paul, MN
  9. San Jose, CA
  10. Boise, ID

Share this infographic and the Fitness Index with your city officials and local leaders to start a conversation on making your city a healthier place for all residents.

Download a PDF of the Infographic here.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Tops Fit List for Second Straight Year

For the second consecutive year, Minneapolis-St. Paul is the healthiest, fittest metropolitan area in the United States, according to the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) annual American Fitness Index® ().

Made possible by a grant from the WellPoint Foundation, the 2012 data report, “Health and Community Fitness Status of the 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas,” evaluated the most populous city areas to identify the healthiest and fittest places in the United States. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington achieved a high score of 76.4 (out of 100 possible points) to capture the top ranking.

Check out the Quick View to see how each metro area ranked. A full copy of the 2012 data report is available at https://americanfitnessindex.org/report.

The data report reflects a composite of preventive health behaviors, levels of chronic disease conditions, health care access and community resources and policies that support physical activity. New to the 2012 data report is a benchmark for each data indicator to help identify areas that need improvement.

“Although many people will gravitate to which cities are fit or less fit, it’s important to remember that there is room for improvement in every community,” added Thompson. “It’s also worth noting that even the lowest-ranked areas have healthy residents and community resources that support health and fitness.”

To assist with measurement and to provide a baseline measure of health and fitness status, ACSM worked with the Indiana University School of Family Medicine and a panel of 26 health and physical activity experts on the methodology of the data report. Researchers analyzed the data gleaned from U.S. Census data, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), The Trust for the Public Land City Park Facts and other existing research data in order to give a scientific, accurate snapshot of the health and fitness status at a metropolitan level.

The data examined fall into two categories:

  1. Personal health indicators
  2. Community and environmental indicators

Building a Healthier Chicago!

ACSM has been proud to work with Assistant Surgeon General Dr. James M. Galloway in the early years of the ACSM American Fitness Index. Dr. Galloway spoke about the importance of the data report to the Building a Healthier Chicago! initiative upon the launch of the program in 2008.

Building a Healthier Chicago! is a collaborative endeavor between the American Medical Association, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the Office of the Regional Health Administrator of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Region V.

The goal of the campaign is to improve the health of Chicago’s residents and employees through the integration of existing and new public health, medicine and community health activities.

The campaign involves several programs including:

  • F.I.T. City: A restaurant initiative to develop and promote F.I.T. (Fresh, Innovative, and Tasty) menu options through partnerships with restaurants, chefs, culinary schools, health advocates, and community groups.
  • Focus Community: Specific program to help the Austin community, located on Chicago’s west side, gain access to healthy foods. Austin is the most densely populated community within Chicago, but has no chain supermarket thus residents have limited access to healthy foods. Parts of Austin have even been designated as “food deserts.”
  • Building a Healthier Chicago’s Agribusiness: A project aimed to set up markets in food deserts to give residents access to affordable fruits and vegetables. The program worked with the DePaul University Graduate School of Business to create a simple market concept- sell food for a dollar each – two apples for a dollar, four potatoes for a dollar, etc.
  • “Federal Employees: Active and Healthy…Working Well”: A worksite wellness program for federal employees aimed to improve the culture of the city’s federal workplaces to encourage employee wellness through healthy eating, and various physical activities.

Chicago ranked 28th in the most recent ACSM American Fitness Index® () data report, which evaluates the 50 most populous city areas and identifies the healthiest and fittest places in the United States. The metro area earned a score of 48.9 (out of 100 possible points) in 2011.

The metro area ranked 34th on personal health indicators related to health behaviors, chronic health problems and health care, and 21st on community/environmental indicators related to the built environment, recreational facilities, park-related expenditures, physical education requirements and primary health care providers.

Pertinent to Building a Healthier Chicago, only 22.5% of the population reports eating 5+ servings of fruits/vegetables a day. However, the area has an above average number of farmers’ markets (17.7/1,000,000).

Building a Healthier Chicago! operates under the Social Ecological Model, which acknowledges how environmental factors impact the decisions people make. This model combines these multiple perspectives and promotes a healthy environment/lifestyle suited for the social space in which people live, eat, work and play.

For more information, please visit: healthierchicago.org.

Building a Healthier Chicago

Oklahoma City’s Wellness Now Initiative

From time to time, we like to highlight community initiatives and programs that are making a difference. Wellness Now is a community-led initiative in Oklahoma City, Okla., aimed at addressing the city’s health problems. Oklahoma City ranked 50th in the most recent ACSM American Fitness Index® () data report, which evaluates the 50 most populous city areas and identifies the healthiest and fittest places in the United States. The metro area earned a score of 24.6 (out of 100 possible points) in 2011.

Oklahoma City struggles with a wide variety of health problems including obesity and tobacco use, both of which are contributors to heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. The study reports 28.6% of the city’s population being obese and 22.8% currently smoking. As a result, the city ranks 50th in personal health indicators with a score of 15.6.

Wellness Now, started in April of 2010, is a collaboration between nearly 100 community partners including schools, health care professionals, elected officials from all levels of government, faith-based and community-based organizations, and private sector companies all dedicated to making necessary changes in order to create a healthy community. In addition to the program’s partners, Wellness Now relies heavily on people in the neighborhoods to participate in surveys and community forums.

The program is chaired by Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and County Commission Chairman Ray Vaughn, and addresses the following public health priority areas:

  • Obesity
  • Mental Health
  • School Health
  • Senior Health
  • Tobacco Use Prevention
  • Obstacles to Health
  • Maternal & Child Health
  • Chronic Disease

For example, the program aims to increase access to and consumption of healthy, safe and affordable food, encourage physical activity, and promote local ordinances requiring 100% smoke-free workplaces. For more examples on specific actions for each of the above mentioned public health priority areas, check out http://www.occhd.org/community/wellnessnow/action

For more information on Wellness Now, visit http://www.occhd.org/community/wellnessnow or https://www.facebook.com/WellnessNowInitiative.

Spotlight on Kansas City: Health and Fitness in the City of Fountains

Today’s post takes a look at the metropolitan statistical area of Kansas City, Mo. Notably, the city has more parks, golf courses, famer’s markets and ball diamonds per capita than any other state. To be exact, there are 214 urban parks, 152 ball diamonds, 10 community centers, 105 tennis courts, five golf courses, and 30 pools occupying the city’s 318 square miles.

Kansas City ranked 22nd in the most recent ACSM American Fitness Index® () data report, which evaluates the 50 most populous city areas and identifies the healthiest and fittest places in the United States. The metro area earned a score of 51.5 (out of 100 possible points) in 2011, moving up from a rank of 29th and a score of 47.9 in 2010.

The area ranked 25th on community/environmental indicators related to the built environment, recreational facilities, physical education requirements and primary health care providers. The study reports 59.3% of the population is in excellent or good health. However, Kansas City continues to struggle with the number of smokers as nearly 20% are currently smoking, down just 1% from 2010 and still above the country’s average.

Despite the larger number of farmer’s markets per capita and City Market, one of the largest and most stable public farmers’ markets in the Midwest, only 18.7% of residents report eating 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

The percentage of residents with chronic health concerns is relatively low and the community still places a strong commitment to physical education classes for the city’s youth. With an abundance of fitness facilities in the Kansas City area, it is only a matter of time before the city can improve it’s ranking.

For a complete list of the Kansas City’s strengths and challenges, plus a breakdown of the components that helped make up its score, please visit the website and download the Kansas City report at www.americanfitnessindex.org/report.htm.

Kansas City Skyline

Spotlight on Richmond, Va: Health and Fitness in One of America’s Oldest Cities

Today’s post takes a look at Richmond, the third largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Virginia. The city of Richmond and its surrounding areas include a population of 1.2 million residents, six Fortune 500 companies, and countless historical monuments and museums.

Richmond took the number 12 spot in the 2011 data report with a total of 64.2 points (out of a possible 100). This ranking was down one spot from 2010. With an above average number of residents getting exercise in the last 30 days, a 5% increase in the number of residents eating five or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day, and a strong percentage (66%) reporting to be in excellent or very good health, it would appear that Richmond is making the right moves towards a healthier community.

On the other hand, Richmond experienced a nearly 4% increase in the number of reported smokers, an increase in residents categorized as obese, and an increase in the deaths per 100,000 from cardiovascular disease. Even with all that, the increase in healthy habits mentioned above, and the 6% increase in residents who are getting moderate physical activity, Richmond moved up a spot to 8th in personal health indicators related to chronic health problems and health care.

While Richmond scores in the top 10 on personal health indicators, it is in the top 20 according to the community and environment indicators. Almost every indicator used in this category stayed the same from the 2010 to 2011 data report with the exception of the number of farmer’s markets. This number nearly doubled from 4.9 per 100,000 residents in 2010 to 9.7 in this year’s report, indicating an increased propensity towards healthier eating. Richmond has the most tennis courts per 10,000 residents (6.9) among the 50 city areas measured in the data report.

For a complete list of Richmond’s strengths and challenges, plus a breakdown of the components that helped make up its score, please visit the website and download the Richmond report at www.americanfitnessindex.org/report.htm.

Richmond Skyline

Spotlight on Washington D.C. – Health and Fitness in our Nation’s Capitol

Today’s post looks at the metropolitan statistical area of Washington D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria, which spans from southern Maryland to northern Virginia. From 2008-2010, DC Metro ranked at the top of the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) American Fitness Index® (), which evaluates the 50 most populous city areas and identifies the healthiest and fittest places in the United States.

This year, Minneapolis-St. Paul edged DC Metro out of the number one spot. According to the 2011 data report, D.C. took the number two spot with a score of 76.8 out of a possible 100 points.

Washington D.C. dropped to 2nd this year for several reasons. It showed an increase in smokers from 12.3% in 2010, to 13.6% in 2011. The area also showed a slight increase in the number of residents reporting that they have diabetes. In 2010, the report showed 6.7% with diabetes, and in 2011 a small increase to 7.1%. However, even with these changes Washington D.C. still ranks first in personal health indicators with a score of 83.1. This is highly influenced by the 4 out of 5 people who report exercising regularly and a high percentage of citizens reporting to be in excellent or very good health (64.1%).

Washington D.C. and its surrounding areas rank 3rd for community and environmental indicators related to health. The area increased its number of farmer’s markets per million residents to 18.6 indicating an increase in healthier eating, and has an above average number of primary health care providers per 100,000 residents at 105.2. While the area reduced park related expenditures this year ($259 per capita), its still the highest amount among the 50 areas measured. And the area’s percentage of parkland is still well above average at 19.4%.

Recreational facilities are plentiful in the nation’s capitol, but getting a tee time might prove difficult — the number of golf courses per 100,000 residents is 0.5.

For a complete list of metro area’s strengths and challenges, plus a breakdown of the components that helped make up its score, please visit the website and download the Washington D.C. report at www.americanfitnessindex.org/report.htm.

The Capitol Building

Spotlight on Los Angeles: Health and Fitness in The City of Angels

Today’s post looks at Los Angeles and its surrounding areas including Long Beach and Santa Ana. It is a city that promises new life, hope, fame and fortune to many looking to move west.

Los Angeles ranked 41st in the most recent ACSM American Fitness Index® () data report, which evaluates the 50 most populous city areas and identifies the healthiest and fittest places in the United States. L.A. earned a score of 39.1 (out of 100 possible points) in 2011, moving down from a rank of 38th and a score of 40.5 in 2010.

Los Angeles ranked 30th with a score of 44.8 on personal health indicators related to health behaviors, chronic health problems and health care. The City of Angels has a fairly low percentage of smokers (11.2%) compared to the national average of 17.9%. The percent of people getting exercise or doing physical activities within the last 30 days (77.8%) is only 1.6% higher than the national average, however, this is a 3.2% increase from the previous report in 2010. Los Angelinos fall at the low end of communities in which residents report being in excellent or very good health (48.8%, just a few points above the MSA low of 46.4%.

The city ranked 45th on community/environmental indicators related to the built environment, recreational facilities, park-related expenditures, physical education requirements and primary health care providers with a score of 33.9 out of 100 possible points. The metro area scored poorly in the number of recreational facilities per capita.

Despite its average scores on built environment indicators, the city has witnessed a propensity toward Smart Growth planning principles. Walk Score recently gave Los Angeles a score of 95 out of 100 and called it a “Walkers Paradise”. This is important because it lends to the physical and financial health of the residents and businesses in the community.

For a complete list of the L.A.’s strengths and challenges, plus a breakdown of the components that helped make up its score, please visit the website and download the Los Angeles report at www.americanfitnessindex.org/report.htm.

Spotlight on Milwaukee: Health and Fitness in Wisconsin’s Largest City

Today’s post takes a look at the metropolitan statistical area of Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis in Wisconsin. The fictional home of The Fonz, Richie Cunningham, Laverne and Shirley, is more accurately famous for its tradition as a brewing and manufacturing town.

Milwaukee ranked 21st in the most recent ACSM American Fitness Index® () data report, which evaluates the 50 most populous city areas and identifies the healthiest and fittest places in the United States. The metro area earned a score of 51.8 (out of 100 possible points) in 2011, moving up from a rank of 27th and a score of 49.2 in 2010.

Wisconsin’s largest metro area ranked 17th on personal health indicators related to health behaviors, chronic health problems and health care.

Milwaukee has an above-average percentage of smokers (18.9%) among the 50 metro areas included in the data report. And residents of this region are above average at getting physical activity. Seventy-nine percent of residents report getting physical activity in the last 30 days and 53% report being physically active at least moderately.

The percentage of residents with chronic health concerns is typically just below average. Nine in 10 residents have health insurance.

The area ranked 34th on community/environmental indicators related to the built environment, recreational facilities, park-related expenditures, physical education requirements and primary health care providers. The area has an above average number of farmers’ markets (22.4/1,000,000). Milwaukee scored very low on the number of recreation centers and tennis courts and spends only $59 per capita on park-related expenditures (the MSA average is $101.5).

Walk Score recently ranked Milwaukee as the 15th most walkable of the 50 largest U.S. cities. Milwaukee also lies on Lake Michigan, making it a popular venue for water activities such as sailing and windsurfing.

For a complete list of the Milwaukee’s strengths and challenges, plus a breakdown of the components that helped make up its score, please visit the website and download the Milwaukee report at www.americanfitnessindex.org/report.htm.

Milwaukee