Which suburbs have the highest percentage of healthy residents and the highest percentage of unhealthy overweight people (Minneapolis: low income)

[lexuses82]

Just a food for thought provoking question. Many places depending on where you live have either good access to healthy food or a lot of fast food restaurants. What suburbs or neighborhoods in Minneapolis Metro have the highest percentage of healthy people and the highest percentage of overweight people. This difference might be a sign of the residence willingness to stay healthy vs not.

My honest guess of the healthiest cities would either be Eden Prairie or Edina. And the fattest cities would probably be Maplewood or Coon Rapids.

[demtion35]

I think it really depends on how active the person is, regardless of the season.

Eating healthy is the most important not a bunch of fast food.

I think each neighborhood should have easy to get to food places that offer good food, maybe more farmer markets, or food coops.

Soon in a month and a half or so, the temps may very well fall to the 0 or below, -10F, it is coming get out and embrace the winter.

Chic Peas, not sure if that is spelled correct, has protein, fiber, and calcium and is very good.

[PeachSalsa]

Originally Posted by demtion35

Chic Peas, not sure if that is spelled correct, has protein, fiber, and calcium and is very good.

One cannot live on chickpeas alone....and being "very good" is a matter of opinion. One can only consume so much hummus (the only way I can tolerate chickpeas).

[demtion35]

Originally Posted by PeachSalsa

One cannot live on chickpeas alone....and being "very good" is a matter of opinion. One can only consume so much hummus (the only way I can tolerate chickpeas).

Yes, it was only used as an example, chickpeas and there are of course many other foods. I just used it as an example,

[Minntoaz]

Healthiest cities or areas are Linden Hills, Uptown and Edina I would say. Most unhealthy probably parts of Minneapolis (think inner city-sorry folks that's the sad reality...) and Brooklyn Park. Racially as much as I hate the race card there are definite differences based upon race for mortality rates from cancer, diabetes and heart disease. I'm not going to go so far as to say it's someones fault or anyone's fault but those are just sheer facts.

[rogead]

Being overweight and being healthy are not polar opposites. Many people who are overweight are relatively healthy, while many people of average or below-average weight are unhealthy.

Whether you are talking about an overall lack of health in general, or obesity in particular, both are strongly correlated to poverty. Thus economically poor areas within the core cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, as well as a handful of older inner-ring suburbs, are likely to have the highest percentages of unhealthy and/or obese individuals.

[uptown_urbanist]

I don't know about the Twin Cities in specific, but there are correlations between weight and the design of a neighborhood. Specifically, car-centric locations where people out of necessity have to spend a lot more time in the car tend to be heavier than neighborhoods where people are able to walk more. It would be interesting to know which suburbs/cities have the highest percentage of people commuting the longest distances, as one measure, and if that correlates to higher levels of obesity. Seems like it would make sense that the more time you're spending sitting in traffic, the less time you have for exercise (at the gym or just walking around the neighborhood), and the more likely you're also likely to just go the easier route and pick up fast food or take-out for supper rather than muster up the time and energy to cook a healthy meal.

Some interesting food for thought on the topic:

We Don't Know Nearly As Much About the Link Between Public Health and Urban Planning As We Think We Do - CityLab

Even Controlling For Poverty, Urban Places Are Thinner Than Suburbs | Planetizen: The Urban Planning, Design, and Development Network

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

Eating healthy is expensive, and the most wealthy n'hoods or suburbs are likely to be the places with the healthiest people -- skinny or slightly overweight. Conversely, the poorest areas tend to have the worst nutrition habits and primarily because unhealthy food stacked with calories is often the cheapest (and tastiest) food. It's not a perfect correlation, but that's how I'd look at it if I was trying to be objective. Naturally, there are going to be people who eat incredibly unhealthy foods and don't take care of themselves that live in wealthy areas, and vice versa, but in general, wealth = health.

[montymontage]

I'd be tempted, a la min-chi-cbus, to simple follow the money and see how that relates to the waist line. It takes education and wealth to be healthy in today's US. To some degree, health and fitness might be best thought of as a class marker?

[Lyndarn]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

Eating healthy is expensive, and the most wealthy n'hoods or suburbs are likely to be the places with the healthiest people -- skinny or slightly overweight. Conversely, the poorest areas tend to have the worst nutrition habits and primarily because unhealthy food stacked with calories is often the cheapest (and tastiest) food. It's not a perfect correlation, but that's how I'd look at it if I was trying to be objective. Naturally, there are going to be people who eat incredibly unhealthy foods and don't take care of themselves that live in wealthy areas, and vice versa, but in general, wealth = health.

Originally Posted by montymontage

I'd be tempted, a la min-chi-cbus, to simple follow the money and see how that relates to the waist line. It takes education and wealth to be healthy in today's US. To some degree, health and fitness might be best thought of as a class marker?

Both of you above actually see the thread to what actually feeds much of the obesity in the free world..The poor left finding calories ( tho empty calories) for quick foods that capitalism has made this type of Food as the most affordable for the poor..Yet..these poor and low income get blamed for not eating appropriately and healthy...TALK about judgemental and speaking out of their collective A$$holes to something they have NO CLUE about!! These blamers simply find it far too easy to blame those suffering for their own problems..Talk about hypocrisy..There's so many sayings..BUT unless you or anyone has walked in those shoes..kindly ****..because as it has been said "YOU KNOW NOT OF WHAT YOU SPEAK" comes to mind!!