Men's Fitness Magazine: Miami is the fattest city in the U.S. (South Beach: how much, neighborhoods)

[Cougar Beach]

The Fittest and Fattest Cities in America 2009 - Men's Fitness

2009 Fattest Cities: #1 Miami, FL - Men's Fitness

So much for the South Beach Diet. While Miami's nightlife and shores don't lack for buff bodies, the majority of residents should probably put a shirt on (61.5% of Miami residents are heavy enough to increase their risk for weight-related health problems). Though Miami has a high number of health-food stores per capita, it also has almost three times the fast-food restaurants as the average city. The area also has 79% more gyms and health clubs than average, but residents are less likely than average to regularly use their memberships.


"Because we have year-round warm weather, many people opt to walk, run, or take part in outdoor activities for their fitness," says Kelly Penton, director of communications for the mayor's office. Actually, they don't. Miamians also scored poorly in motivation due to low participation rates in outdoor activities like biking, running, and fitness walking despite a relatively pleasant climate most of the year. The city's commute (50% more oppressive than average) and air quality (ranked the worst in our survey according to EPA standards) certainly don't help matters either.

-- Men's Health Magazine

[tallrick]

The fact is that 60% of the year it is way to hot to do anything other than stay inside in air conditioning. Also the fact that many people here are under stress to make ends meet does not help. The Latin American culture does not hold fitness in high regard either.

[Lost in Translation]

Once you leave the shimmer and gloss of South Beach, Miami looks like any other American city. The ranking does not surprise me.

[canovas]

Originally Posted by tallrick

The fact is that 60% of the year it is way to hot to do anything other than stay inside in air conditioning. Also the fact that many people here are under stress to make ends meet does not help. The Latin American culture does not hold fitness in high regard either.

Can you please explain what you mean by "the latin american culture?"

Thank you.

[Cougar Beach]

Originally Posted by tallrick

The fact is that 60% of the year it is way to hot to do anything other than stay inside in air conditioning.

That's silly. In school we were outside practically every day for the whole period. That covered about 9 1/2 months of the year.

Originally Posted by tallrick

Also the fact that many people here are under stress to make ends meet does not help.

You mean that most people here are not wealthy?

Originally Posted by tallrick

The Latin American culture does not hold fitness in high regard either.

I would wager that the average American is more overweight and probably more more out of shape than the average Latin American.

I recall in 9th grade, after spending the summer riding my bike in Miami (wow, I was outside in the summer), I won the Presdential Medal for physical fitness. I could sprint faster than anyone in the large class, except for two guys -- both Cuban (one of whom helped me with Spanish).

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by canovas

Can you please explain what you mean by "the latin american culture?"

Thank you.

My experience has been that in Latin American (central and south America) countries physical activity is seen as only for the young or the peasants. Once you grow up the ideal is to be working indoors, especially in an office, rather than being outside or in a shop using your hands. In Latin America most have to be active, but when they come to the US they get a car, desk job and take it easy. The kids also get the bad habits and get heavy. North Americans are fat for sure, but there is still the "fitness" culture many aspire to.

[PBCboy]

People in the northeast have more excuses than ones in the southeast considering it's freezing up there many months of the year.

[feelquiet]

I'm surprised by the air quality ranking. They must have sampled during a specific year/period with strong wild fires. Otherwise, I think our frequent thunderstorms, offshore winds, flat topography and nuclear power plants tend to keep our air pretty clean.

I tried searching for official EPA rankings, but there don't appear to be any overall ranking. The American Lung Association also doesn't list any South Florida county or MSA as among their "most polluted." Men's Health seems to have made up their own ranking system. Everything i've seen from the EPA says as of 2000, southeast florida meets EPA air quality standards, with only a few days each year where it doesn't. So I think this particular ranking is bogus.

[Tiger Beer]

I'd like to find out how they do the survey.

I saw a TV snippet on this...and they were saying Miami people don't walk enough...but how do they measure it? There was also how many fast-food restaurants and probably consumption levels. But with so many tourists, maybe they are going there? Way too many factors here to REALLy determine this kind of stat.

I wish they just went on OBESITY alone, and not 'how much do they walk', as how can you quantify and compare that anyways between cities?

[MidwestYoungCouple]

I could understand the generalities in the article.

Regarding the lack of Physical Activity
I am a native Miamian - born and raised. I moved to Chicago almost 10 years ago. Once I moved to Chicago, I immediately saw how people living in the city took fitness seriously. Poor and affluent alike, people walked and took public transportation almost everywhere...and it was not seen as a negative thing. It’s very common to see people running, biking, jogging, walking along the lakefront regardless of the temperature. With so much green space and parks, Chicagoans are always out enjoying the city. The city (i.e. downtown and near by neighborhoods) is relative safe. The City does and its proprietors do a great job of offering many events, activities, and hobbies.

In Miami, only the vehicle-less and destitute seem to take public transportation. Unlike New York City and Chicago, Miami is NOT a walking city. Coconut Grove and SouthBeach are the exceptions. If you are walking the streets of Miami, it is seen as weird and dangerous. You automatically become a target for ridicule and crime. Also, the heat is unbearable most of the year.

Regarding the Diet/Food habits:
The Latin Culture also includes the Caribbean. In addition to immigrants coming over from the Spanish speaking countries or islands, there are people living in Miami from the non-Hispanic or black Caribbean countries. Despite the cultural and language differences, the diet, ingredients, foods from Latin America are the same (meals prepared differently). The cultural recipes that they come over to the U.S. with are heavy in carbohydrates (rice, yams, manioc, flour, breads) and fats (pork, beef). Also, the portion sizes are huge. Given that they are coming over from third world countries were food is scarce, being thin is seen and regarded as a sign of poverty and misery. Growing up, we were encouraged to eat so that we were not skinny and thin. While the newer generations are more body conscious, the stigma remains. Being of Caribbean descent and being first generation American, I know that my people (family and community) do shop for value brands and are very conscious about stretching a dollar so that everyone is feed and no one goes hungry. The value foods are not always the healthiest.

Simply, fitness has never been a core element of their lifestyles. I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that when the immigrants were living in their countries, manual labor or work WAS exercise. This is how they kept in shape. The concept of working out or making an effort to exercise is foreign to them. Also, the foods that they ate were probably natural – grown or raised in their backyards or community farms and not laced with the preservatives and additives found in the foods here in the U.S. that contribute to illness and obesity.
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