Burlington, Vt., is healthiest city, CDC says

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer  –  Sun Nov 16, 12:29 pm ET

What's the healthiest city in America? It appears to be Burlington, Vt.

Vermont's largest city is tops among U.S. metropolitan areas by having the largest proportion of people — 92 percent — who say they are in good or great health.

It's also among the best in exercise and among the lowest in obesity, diabetes and other measures of ill health, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This New England city of 40,000, on the shores of Lake Champlain, is in some ways similar to the unhealthiest city — Huntington, W.Va. Both are out-of-the-way college towns with populations that are overwhelmingly white people of English, German or Irish ancestry.

But there the similarities end:

_Burlington is younger, with an average age of 37, compared to 40 in Huntington, according to the Census Bureau.

_Burlington is better off financially, with 8 percent living at the federal poverty level, compared to 19 percent in Huntington.

_It's much more educated, with nearly 40 percent of area residents having at least a college bachelor's degree. Only 15 percent in the Huntington area do.

Last night we were watching Fox News (Yeah, I know  :-\\ ) and before they went to a commercial break, they asked what was the healthiest city. I turned to Carlos and said, "Burlington". They came back and said that-I said to Carlos, "Did I call it or what?"  ;D ;D ;D


In fact, we were up in Burlington this weekend-we go frequently because that is where 2 of Carlos' kids live and that is where one of his docs is.



Cat

Can San Francisco be considered healthy, with all those hills to walk up and down?

I've been in Huntington WV.  The air quality there is pretty bad.  It's also got that Depression Era cool mining town feel and mentality.

Burlington, eh?  You'd think between all that weed and all that Ben & Jerry's....
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/icescream.gif

The least healthy city is Huntsville, WV.  I thought it had something to do with coal pollution, but it's just rampant obesity.