America is facing an obesity problem, increasing rates of heart disease and cancer diagnoses, and rising health care premiums. However, not all states and cities are equally affected. WalletHub conducted a study of the top 180 U.S. cities looking at 41 indicators of good health, such as the cost of medical visits, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity levels. According to Cassandra Happe, a WalletHub analyst, where people live can have a significant impact on their ability to stay healthy due to access to quality healthcare, green spaces, recreational centers, and healthy food.
San Francisco, California, was ranked as the healthiest city in America, with the lowest percentage of obese adults at just 19%. Residents in San Francisco also had healthy eating habits and engaged in frequent exercise, with 100% living near locations for physical activity. Other cities in the top five included Honolulu, Hawaii; Seattle, Washington; San Diego, California; and Washington, D.C. On the other hand, cities with the lowest health scores included Brownsville, Texas; Gulfport, Mississippi; and Columbus, Georgia. California cities, such as San Jose and Anaheim, had low premature death rates, while more rural areas like Augusta, Georgia, and Charleston, West Virginia, had higher rates.
Factors such as cost of living also play a role in overall health, according to Jia Yu, an associate professor at Southern Connecticut State University. Affordable housing, medical expenses, and daily costs can lead to a more comfortable standard of living and reduce financial stress, ultimately impacting health and well-being. Safer cities can also contribute to stronger mental health and emotional well-being. Some experts argue that a healthy lifestyle is not necessarily limited by finances, with Columbia University professor Peter Muennig stating that investing in a healthier life involves sweat and learning how to cook healthily, leading to a longer life with fewer diseases.
Cities can play a role in improving the health levels of their residents through pollution reduction efforts, such as creating parks over freeways, increasing green spaces, expanding bike lanes, and implementing bike share programs. However, there are also socioeconomic factors at play, as noted by triple-board-certified medical weight loss doctor Sue Decotiis. She cautioned against taking the report’s findings too literally, emphasizing that unhealthy choices in poorer cities may stem from a lack of access to healthy food due to limited finances. Decotiis also highlighted the bodily stress that can result from living in a less developed or decaying city, pointing to cultural, socio-economic, and access issues as influencing factors in health outcomes. Overall, the geographical location alone may not determine a city’s level of healthiness, but rather a combination of factors such as access to resources, knowledge about healthy habits, and socioeconomic status.
