The five healthiest cities for women in the U.S.A. and what you can do to make yours better

Glamour Magazine

Across this great land of ours, women are getting a vastly different experience depending on where they call home, but Self magazine has ranked 100 cities across the U.S.A. to determine which city was the best place to be a girl. Hands down, the lucky ladies in San Francisco, CA, are the healthiest overall, with the lowest incidence of obesity or diabetes of any other city surveyed, plus the most OB/GYNs per capita and the best dental health opportunities. San Francisco also was runner-up as having the fittest population and the healthiest eaters (gee, think those go hand in hand)? The city also received high marks for having one of the best environments in the nation. It really is better by the Bay!

The five healthiest cities for women, overall, according to Self's ranking:
1. San Francisco, CA
2. Nassau-Suffolk counties, NY
3. San Jose, CA
4. Honolulu, HI
5. Burlington, VT

That's all great if you live on Russian Hill with a view of the harbor, but what about the rest of us? What can those of us with cities that are low on the totem pole (or didn't make the cut) to do?

  • Get to know your neighbors. The first step in creating a healthy community is to create a healthy community, which means you'll need to get out there and meet your neighbors, get to know your local business owners and chat with the people you see at the jogging track.

  • Become one with your surroundings. Get involved, eradicate graffiti, pick up those pieces of trash you step over on your way through the parking lot, and don't litter (and don't kid yourself. Throwing your cigarette butts out of your car window is littering...those things take years to decompose).

  • Green Thumbs Up! What to do if you're staring at scorched patches of earth and garbage alongside your daily commute? Try a little civic improvement and improve your environment with some guerrilla gardening. Not only will it make your view prettier but it will also filter some of that smog and pollution, and maybe inspire someone else to take pride in their surroundings. Bonus points if you research native plants and flowers that won't require lots of fertilizing or care.

  • Pick a health concern and make it your pet cause. Hate smoking in public places? Start a campaign to get it banned. Worried about kids having unprotected sex or the lack of affordable medical care for impoverished women? Volunteer at a free clinic or become a mentor. Or get angry and make some noise! Look what it did for Erin Brockovich!

  • Need some more ideas? Read this.

To see where your city stacked up, you can click on Self's map here.

MORE FROM ELASTIC WAIST AND SELF:

[photo credit: Getty Images]