Why are people so fit in Colorado? (Denver, Colorado Springs: buying, organic)

[ryanek9freak]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

In most states, an 8.5 mile hike with an elevation gain of 2500 ft would deter all but the seriously diehard hikers, but not in Colorado where testing ourselves in the great outdoors is our un-official statewide religion. Even the out-of-state visitors get caught up in it. In Colorado, an 8.5 mile hike, from 8700 to 11,200 ft elevation is something that some foolhardy beginners attempt to do in bare feet. I bet the idiots won't try that again! Must be something in the thin Rocky Mountain air that causes people from the lowland states to simply ignore common sense.

In a conundrum over popular Colorado backcountry hot springs

We're almost too fit for our own good. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

A 9 mile hike is a weekly thing for me. It doesn't seem like much, but when you put it that way...

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by Lugnuts

There is a lot of info on the net about the correlation between weight loss and altitude.
Eg Obese People Lose Weight at High Altitudes | LiveScience

The higher up you go, the easier it is to lose weight. Since Colorado is one of the higher states, the altitude does affect the metabolic rates of the residents. Of course, an active lifestyle contributes to our health as well. I've spent a lot of time in the Andes and the Himalayas. When I got high enough, it just didn't matter what I ate; beer, bistek montados, ice cream, etc. still lost a lot of weight and I didn't have much fat to start with.

Might be some truth to this. I don't recall meeting many obese people in Wyoming or Utah either. I am sure they exist, just not in the numbers I see elsewhere. When we moved to W. Oregon from Colorado, I was pretty shocked by how pale and plump the Oregonians were. I have hypothesized our long, dark, cool winters tend to send you to the bakery...or the pub.

[Mach50]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

IMO it's a reflection of the education and income levels.

Cultural attitude and acceptance as well.

People don't pride themselves on eating huge plates of BBQ, drive a truck and being 6' 330lbs.
It's totally acceptable to be 6' 155lbs, ride a bicycle and eat salad.

[ryanek9freak]

Originally Posted by Mach50

Cultural attitude and acceptance as well.

People don't pride themselves on eating huge plates of BBQ, drive a truck and being 6' 330lbs.
It's totally acceptable to be 6' 155lbs, ride a bicycle and eat salad.

There's still quite a few fatties here though, both genders. Take a trip to the east platte Walmart...

[iknowftbll]

I miss the health and fitness lifestyle of Colorado. I also lived in Monterey, California for a while and that is similar to Colorado only with a lot of deep pockets and a deep ocean too. Now I live in Virginia. I am happy here, but it is obvious that this area does not have a culture of fitness, health and cleanliness like Colorado and parts of California.

This isn't to say Colorado and California don't have their dirty areas. But compared to here...there is trash littered everywhere here. Some of the intersections literally have piles of cigarette butts lying around. Ditches are filled with empty soda bottles (and beer bottles so you know people are drinking and driving). I live in a subdivision off a road that is flanked by a heavily wooded area. Along the road there are bottles, cups, cans, papers...it's sad, really. People out here do not care about the appearance of the community.

I was once at an intersection in Colorado Springs and saw someone toss a cup into the street. A pedestrian happened to be crossing the street, and she picked it up and tossed it back into the guy's car! I love it! The other day I was behind someone who dropped his McD wrapper onto the street. My wife was driving and I started to get out to do pick up his trash and toss it back into his car but the light turned green. I'm not going to get crushed by a car over a McDonald's wrapper. I was livid, though.

I think there is a connection between the fitness and cleanliness of an area. No matter where you go people are going to drop their nasty trash behind them. Flick their cigarette butts out their car window, etc. But I think areas that have a culture of fitness tend to take better care of their communities, too. At least that seems to be the case in my experiences.

Another thing we noticed about Virginia is people don't buy the deck when they have a house built. Last year my wife and I were looking to buy a house out here and it was amazing to me how many houses had a 15 foot drop from the kitchen to the ground. I told my wife it was because the weather here sucks so bad. In the summer it's incredibly hot and humid. But the weather really only sucks from late June to early September. Spring and fall are awesome here. My realtor said people think they can get one installed later for less expense (which is not true) but I am convinced a lot of people simply don't feel its worth it because VA does not have an outdoor culture like CO.

With all that said, I don't hate it here. I actually like it, even with all the flaws. But I really do miss CO and look forward to returning some day.

[senortim]

Originally Posted by wolfskullpolo

Most of the people at the gym I work out at have a lot of outdoor activities that supplement their gym regimens. Biking, hiking, running, skiing, kayaking, etc. And in my case, polo on horseback. All very athletic endeavors. Even those who feel that they are past the age for the extremeness of mountain biking or skiing, at least walk every day.

...

People here also seem to be slightly more in tune with "what" they put in their bodies as well. Most of my associates tend to eat more nutritiously than in other parts of the country that I have lived. I haven't met a lot of vegans, and only a few vegetarians, as most people tend to eat meals that are in balance. Even, not too large, portions of protiens, carbs and fiber-rich foods that can be quickly assimilated, burned off and digested.

Isn't everyone just ignoring the obvious here - the states regarded as fat are also some of the most poverty stricken. The gym is an upper class endeavor. As are things like hiking, skiing, kayaking or polo. When you're trying to make ends meet - Ain't nobody got time for that. Good nutrition is also difficult when you can barely put meals on your table. Spend some time in Mississippi or West Virginia - if you think Colorado has the same population and problems, well, I don't know what to tell you.

On a related note, Philadelphia was ranked as the fattest city a few years back. I went there recently and see why. The food there is so damn awesome and fattening. Plus you only ever got to walk 1 block to get to it. Hoagies on every corner, cheesesteaks, those delicious soft pretzels... Its great.

[AgelessStranger]

Originally Posted by senortim

Isn't everyone just ignoring the obvious here - the states regarded as fat are also some of the most poverty stricken. The gym is an upper class endeavor. As are things like hiking, skiing, kayaking or polo. When you're trying to make ends meet - Ain't nobody got time for that. Good nutrition is also difficult when you can barely put meals on your table. Spend some time in Mississippi or West Virginia - if you think Colorado has the same population and problems, well, I don't know what to tell you.

On a related note, Philadelphia was ranked as the fattest city a few years back. I went there recently and see why. The food there is so damn awesome and fattening. Plus you only ever got to walk 1 block to get to it. Hoagies on every corner, cheesesteaks, those delicious soft pretzels... Its great.

Browsing the CO forum and saw this. Philadelphia (where I reside) was ranked a while back as the fattest city, but I just saw a recent men's fitness report placing us 14th now. But one must take these kind of stories with a grain of salt. Some don't tell you the criteria used in order to come up with such a conclusion. I even saw one study which used BMI. Uh, if your going to use that, bodybuilders would be considered obese.

Regarding the food here. Hoagies are Subs for those who don't know. And yes, the food is going to be one of the things I'll miss if I ever move. The food is awesome here.

[lurtsman]

The vast majority of studies use BMI because it is vastly simpler than any other method. The fact that it inaccurately ranks body builders is certainly a negative, but the rankers will deal with it in order to reduce their workload so dramatically. IMO, the worst lists use things like gyms and parks per capita in creating a fitness ranking. That's even more useless from the standpoint of figuring out which states are in shape. Unfortunately, most lists, in an attempt to be unique, come up with bogus factors that are easy for them to track (numbers already available on the internet), assign an arbitrary weight, and then publish their (stupid) list. I do thoroughly enjoy a well researched list that documents the facts as they are, rather than taking facts and misrepresenting them.

[Josseppie]

I think it is the culture here. I am not a huge outdoor fan but even I exercise everyday, yes its on a elliptical runner in my house but I go 11 miles Monday thru Saturday and a 1/2 marathon on Sundays, then even I like to hike in the summer and ski in the winter and I am always active and think nothing of it. I have been and lived in other states and I just don't see that there.

[CosmicWizard]

lurtsman wrote: The fact that it inaccurately ranks body builders is certainly a negative,

Many bodybuilders ARE overweight. It might be muscle, but it is still an overweight condition. At Golds Gym in Grand Junction where I workout, I see many BIG guys with smooth, bulky, un-defined muscles ( mostly upper body ), who look like they need to lose 20 or 30 lbs, who are still trying to gain weight. That can't possibly be healthy. Also, I never see any of those guys out on the hiking/biking trails. Their outdoor activity is more likely to be jeep and ATV riding.



Josseppie wrote: I think it is the culture here. I am not a huge outdoor fan but even I exercise everyday, yes its on a elliptical runner in my house but I go 11 miles Monday thru Saturday and a 1/2 marathon on Sundays, then even I like to hike in the summer and ski in the winter and I am always active and think nothing of it. I have been and lived in other states and I just don't see that there.

When I was in visiting a friend in Nevada City-CA back in June, he was telling me that Nevada City was home to many fitness buffs and outdoor lovers. While I noticed much truth in his statement, the activity level did not appear to be even close to the activity level of an outdoor mecca like Grand Junction. Not even close.