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These types of rankings should always be taken with a grain (or two) of salt, but according to Men’s Fitness Magazine, Columbus is ranked as the 18th Fattest City in America in 2009.
It’s difficult to track our history with this poll, as criteria changes slightly from year to year, and some information is either no longer available online or we didn’t place in the rankings at all. That being said, we did place as high as 6th Fattest City back in 2002, and were up to the 20th Fittest City in 2008. So it would appear as if we’ve slipped a bit from last year, but improved quite a bit over the long term.
The areas where Columbus ranked highly in the study include: Sports Participation, Commute, Access to Healthcare, and Motivation.
The areas where Columbus ranked “average” include: Overweight/Sedentary, Air Quality, Geography, Parks & Open Space, and Mayor & City Initiatives.
The areas where Columbus ranked poorly include: Fitness Centers & Sports Stores, Nutrition, TV Viewing, Junk Food, City Rec Facilities, and State Obesity Initiatives.
The full article and rankings can be found online here: Men’s Fitness Magazine.
I’ve pushed back on these Mag guys off and on for a few years now. Our Mayor C created Commit to be Fit with WBNS, is an avid biker, is planning to do a triathalon this year (at 50+ yrs) and started a Healthy Lifestyles foundation to raise money to fund urban farmers markets last year. Somehow I don’t think he’s lacking in initiative. I’m a fan and helped create the City efforts, but really, having met many mayors, Coleman is not an average or slouch in pushing the fit message.
I think they get most of their info by checking the yellow pages for # of gyms… ;)
If folks on CU have other innovative ideas that Columbus could be pushing, in addition to the bike plan and stuff mentioned above, please send them over to the office.
mb
Taken from the perspective of someone who works with data on a regular basis, these indices are a joke. Especially the ones produced every issue in Mens Health.
I really wouldn’t take them seriously.
Methodology:
“What should be #18 on the list? Let me see… how about Columbus? Columbus sounds fat….”
aargh
oh…they compiled “reams” of data. That’s super.
# Fitness Centers & Sport Stores: D
# Nutrition: F
# Sports Participation: A-
# TV Viewing: D+
# Overweight/Sedentary: C-
# Junk Food: D-
# Air Quality: C+
# Geography: C-
# Commute: B
# Parks & Open Space: C+
# City Rec Facilities: D
# Access to Healthcare: B-
# Motivation: A-
# Mayor & City Initiatives: C
# State Obesity Initiatives: F+
an “F” in nutrition…fascinating, and this is judged how exactly?!?
TV watching?!? Really?!? I watch more TV than anyone on this board, and most people I know…and certainly don’t consider myself obese.
It’s a moronic article, from an equally moronic magazine….although the Orgasm Almanac they write is quality journalism.
I’m still not sure why people post these “list” articles on here. Even if Columbus is listed on a complementary list that says we’re the greatest city in the universe it’s still just “junk journalism”.
Sure. These types of lists are flawed. But as non-scientific as they are, these things do have some merit. Lists like this get quoted by PR and promo groups in these cities quite a bit, and overtime when you’re beaten over the head enough with “Portland is the GREENEST” or “Denver is the FITTEST” or “Columbus is the COLLEGE SPORTSIEST” it has a national impact whether it’s 100% accurate or not.
So yeah, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m attempting to beat everyone here over the head with a message of “COLUMBUS IS FAT BUT NOT REALLY THAT FAT MORE LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY MADE A NEW YEARS RESOLUTION TO LOSE 10 LBS BUT ITS ALREADY MIDJANUARY AND WHO REALLY CARES ANYWAY”.
They have the CDC data, and yet that add to that number of ice cream shops? The methodology is clearly biased based on some opinions of the folks who assembled this.
My company does a state report annually, that has a little better methodology. Unfortunately, it doesn’t break things down by city, but interestingly, it does say Ohio overall has gotten heavier (at least for 2007). This could be anywhere in Ohio. Even this should be taken with a grain of salt. Use it to help determine health initiatives, but not necessarily to decide who “wins”.
http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/ahr2007/states/Ohio.html
Thanks for reminding me how fat, lazy, over-TVed, and unsportsmanlike I am… like I don’t have enough neurosis…
Here’s how ridiculous the polling was:
New York is the 5th fattest city because there’s less sporting goods stores and swimming pools per capita than other cities. Gimme a break.
Miami is the FATTEST!…why? Because they have a lot more ice cream stores. Hmmm…Miami has more per capita ice cream stores than, say, Bismarck or Anchorage…yep, gotta be fat people…couldn’t be the climate.
you’re also over-cowed, mb.
i read that cbus is the 5th most bovined city in america
Or could it be because I plan to cook this: http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/
Yes. One day soon… I will smoke up a big fattie… called the Bacon Explosion… and I will take pictures of this pork-periment and send them to the underground.
Then I will start my diet.
One of our problems is lack of healthy eating options. We have tons of fast food places and restaurants in and around our city. But, overall I don’t think we have a major problem with weight in this city. It is something everyone needs to work on…not just Columbus.
Big town. I think there is an overall lifestyle issue not a junk food issue. Maybe the lifestyle issue is reflected in the rankings. I guess the only way to tell would be to have a national weigh in on inauguration day.
At least we haven’t been named the no. 1 fattest city in a while.
There is still time!
I think it’s a cultural/willpower thing much more than one of access to healthier dining options. You can eat healthily at McDonalds or Wendy’s, but 99.5% of people who go there choose not to.