The 10 best (and worst) cities for women

FatFighterTV

What is it about city and state rankings that we all love so much? Maybe just a good healthy competition between our hometowns? Some FatFighterTV favorites have been Obesity Per State, America's Fittest Cities, and the Best and Worst Walking Cities in America. Now, SELF magazine has released the Healthiest Places For Women. In at number one…

Burlington, VT. According to SELF, women there have low rates of diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, and cervical and ovarian cancer deaths. Residents exercise and walk to work in large numbers. And Burlington has more farmers' markets than any town on the list, with most now taking food stamps to help more people eat right.

SELF looked at the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas and came up with their ranking based on many factors, including rates of diseases, access to health care, air quality, crime rates, exercise, diet and smoking. So, here are the best and worst of the list…

2009 Healthiest Places for Women, according to SELF Magazine and Self.com:

1. Burlington, VT
2. Bethesda, MD
3. Portland, ME
4. Cambridge, MA
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Honolulu, HI
7. Stamford-Norwalk-Bridgeport, CT
8. Madison, WI
9. Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, CA
10. Fargo, ND

In at the bottom…
2009 Unhealthiest Places for Women, according to SELF Magazine and Self.com:

90. Dayton, OH
91. Daytona Beach-Deltona-Ormond Beach, FL
92. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
93. El Paso, TX
94. Birmingham-Hoover, AL
95. St. Louis, MO
96. Toledo, OH
97. Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
98. Oklahoma City, OK
99. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI
100. Tulsa, OK

Some other interesting results from the report:

  • Exercises most: Madison, WI

  • Exercises least- Miami, FL

  • Fewest health clubs: El Paso, TX

  • Most health clubs - Portland, ME

  • Most fast food outlets: Nassau-Suffolk counties, NY

  • Fewest fast food outlets - Provo, UT

  • Cleanest water: Raleigh, NC

  • Most allergies and asthma: San Francisco, CA

  • Most toxic sites: Riverside, CA

  • Least unemployment: Billings, MT

  • Most unemployment: Detroit, MI

  • Longest commute: New York, NY

  • Fewest STDs: Rockingham County, NH

  • Fewest Pap smears: Las Vegas, NV

See the complete list from SELF here.

So, how did your hometown do? Where I live - Columbus, OH - is #78. :(

Don't forget to check out how your city/state ranks here:

Obesity Per State
America's Fittest Cities
Best and Worst Walking Cities in America