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I know that Vancouver BC technically has the lowest obesity rate of any large city in North America, and Boulder in the US - but this thread is more about perception. Of the places you've been to, where have you noticed just from walking around, etc. that people seem the most consistantly fit and not obese.
I'd have to go with San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Denver, based on the places I've been. LA and NYC have plenty of fit people, but these places also seem to have their fair share of an obese population as well (by percentage, it seems like moreso than the cities mentioned previously).
Keep in mind, I'm talking specifically about being physically fit, and not overall attractiveness. This thread isn't meant to be cruel or demeaning, just curious as to what people's experiences are.
Sadly, the prevalence of obesity is growing, even in traditionally fitter places such as Colorado. Obesity affects every city and socioeconomic group but is more prevalent in less educated and less affluent groups and in black and Latino communities. Cities with an abundance of outdoor activities seem to have less obesity. I'd say places such as Denver, Twin Cities, San Francisco, Boston, DC, and Seattle come to mind as most fit. Manhattan is also fit compared to the rest of NYC.
Denver and Portland. A lot of other places such Boston, Manhattan, DC, Twin Cities, SF, and Seattle have low obesity rates (relative to rest of America, that is), but Denver and Portland are the only places I've been to where people really stood out to me as not just being thin, but fit, athletic, and healthy.
The stats are right in this case, based on my experiences. Vancouver is definitely the least obese/most fit city I've been to outside of Asia and Europe. I think it largely has to do with the strong Asian presence there and the fact that Vancouver feels like "Canada's Hollywood" but I saw very, very few overweight - let alone obese - people there. As a bigger guy (pants size 38), I noticed very few clothing stores went up that high, and in one store the clerk said for women size 8 or maybe 10 is usually the highest they go. In other words, people are very thin there (everyone eats healthy and goes to they gym or does other recreation), and during my time there I noticed a culture that was pretty judgmental of people who are overweight. Very different than anything I've experienced in the US.
Ive been to Boulder briefly and it did seem to be a fit city as well, at least by US standards.
Most fit: D.C.
Most obese: Baltimore, Philly, most cities in the south.
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