Get fit, Chicago!
The area's advantages include, among other things, higher use of public transit, higher percentage of bicycling and walking to work, and state requirement for PE classes.
The 'challenges' include high unemployment numbers, fewer dog parks, low percentage of city land for parks, and fewer playgrounds and golf courses per capita.
The AFI evaluation looks at how an area approaches preventative health, levels of chronic disease, access to healthcare and community resources and policies for physical activity. It was developed to help communities identify opportunities to improve the community's health and move toward a more active lifestyle, according to AFI. Download the report (PDF)
Communities with a high score in the system have a high level of fitness. Chicago's score was 47.6.
The top 10 ranks:
1. Washington, DC 74.4
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN 72.1
3. Denver, CO 71.6
4. Boston, MA 71.4
5. San Francisco, CA 71.3
6. Seattle, WA 69.7
7. Portland, OR 68.1
8. San Diego, CA 66.8
9. Austin, TX 65.1
10. Virginia Beach, VA 63.1
The AFI report is supported by a grant from the WellPoint Foundation.
