This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
L.A. Is In Fact Not The Fittest City In The Country
Any New Yorker will tell you that L.A. is soooo obsessed with fitness and soooo shallow in how much we care about how we look. BUT—as it turns out, Los Angeles is indeed among the least fit cities in the country. Take that, Manhattan!
NBC Los Angeles reports that of the nation's 50 largest cities, "Los Angeles is the 29th fittest city in the country, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Fitness Index."
BOOM.
Turns out that while we don't smoke as much as other places and use public transportation more (!!!), we are also more mentally unstable and have higher rates of diabetes.
Our neighbors to the north and the south fared better than we did. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area came in fourth, and San Diego came in 14th.
Some of the ways in which fitness was measured—in addition to smoking and diabetes—was the number of dog parks, farmer's markets and recreation areas per capita, as well as rates of obesity.
The least fit city in the country is Oklahoma City. But watch out—we're coming for the title next year.
-
Cruise off the highway and hit locally-known spots for some tasty bites.
-
Fentanyl and other drugs fuel record deaths among people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. From 2019 to 2021, deaths jumped 70% to more than 2,200 in a single year.
-
This fungi isn’t a “fun guy.” Here’s what to do if you spot or suspect mold in your home.
-
Donald Trump was a fading TV presence when the WGA strike put a dent in network schedules.
-
Edward Bronstein died in March 2020 while officers were forcibly taking a blood sample after his detention.
-
A hike can be a beautiful backdrop as you build your connection with someone.