Associated Press
HOUSTON — When it comes to flab, Houston is No. 1.
For the second consecutive year, Men’s Fitness magazine gave the title of fattest to the nation’s fourth-largest city.
Only one Texas city, Austin, is among the magazine’s top 25 fittest cities, at No. 16. The magazine ranked Colorado Springs the nation’s fittest city, followed by Denver, San Diego, Seattle and San Francisco.
The magazine considers air and water quality, television viewing habits, obesity rates, availability of parks and open space, climate and nutrition when assigning ranks.
Later this month, Houston plans to launch a get-fit effort inspired by cheesesteak-loving Philadelphia, which implemented a citywide fitness campaign after the magazine named it the flab capital in 1999.
In response, health clubs offered discounts, businesses sponsored lunch-hour workouts and restaurants presented leaner dishes. Philadelphia dropped to No. 3 last year, and this year is No. 4 on the list.
Chicago ranked No. 2 for fat, followed by Detroit.
Houston isn’t the only Texas city battling the bulge. Dallas weighs in at No. 5, San Antonio at No. 7, and Fort Worth rounds out Texas in the top 10 at No. 8.
The magazine’s February "fattest city" issue appears on newsstands Monday.
Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
