What Did You Say We Are?

Just about everything gets ranked by some group or another these days. Newsweek ranks colleges and universities. Hospitals and cardiac programs get ranked and those in the top 100 or so place their results on billboards. As Matthew Holt noted today even blogs get ranked. It is difficult to keep up with the critera for rankings and what it all means.

Reported in USA Today is the results of the ranking for the fittest and fattest cities by Men's Fitness magazine. So as to not keep you in suspense, Baltimore is the fittest city and the beef and potatoes crowd in Chicago get the nod as the fattest city. My daughter will be unhappy to hear that.

It is interesting that the contrasts are fittest and fattest. Is thinest a word? Nevertheless, many of the comments about Baltimore focused on food and not excercise. There is mention about the amount of public park space and the relatively small number of fast-food resturants.

Whether or not the rankings have any meaning, it is encouraging to see how various aspects of community life are brought forth as having an influence on fittness. It should stimulate Baltimore to live up to the ranking. As for Chicago, the gauntlet is down. This might be a good way for Mayor Daley to put some space between his troubles.

As for healthy lifestyle and achieving optimum health, the attention can't hurt.