Two Healthiest Cities In America (I've Lived In Both) Don't Make Sense
The two healthiest cities in America don't make much sense.
The American College of Sports Science recently released its healthiest cities in the USA, and get ready to scratch your head with a little confusion.
The criteria for the rankings is personal health and community/environmental scores. Buckle up because below are the top five:
- Arlington, VA
- Washington, D.C.
- Seattle, WA
- San Francisco, CA
- Madison, WI
Arlington, VA and Washington, D.C. are the two healthiest cities in America based on study.
I'm sorry, but I have to throw the challenge flag on these rankings. I just have to do it. I spent years living in Madison, and I have no issue with the home of the Badgers being at number five. That's believable.
I absolutely refuse to believe Arlington and D.C. are the top two healthiest cities in America. I lived in Arlington for around four years and I've lived in D.C. for nearly six.
I've never seen any area of the country with unhealthier habits than the Washington, D.C. metro area. D.C. has the highest percentage of heavy drinkers in the entire country, according to data from the CDC. While the CDC doesn't specify Arlington's binge-drinking rates, I'm sure it's nearly as bad.
You can't go to an event in Washington, D.C. without being offered alcohol. Hell, I've never been in an office building that didn't have booze on desks.
People in Washington, D.C. like to drink a lot. (Credit: Getty Images)
I used to work at a place that had more access to alcohol than your average bar, and it was awesome. I'm not complaining. Not a little, but don't look me in the face and tell me Arlington and D.C. are the two healthiest cities in America based on personal health and community/environmental rank.
And don't get me started on the casual drug use in our nation's capital. There are Hill interns who seemingly have more access to Columbia's finest export than Pablo Escobar did. The recreational drug use in this city is without question the worst I've ever personally witnessed, and I graduated from Wisconsin and lived in the stoner's paradise of Bozeman, MT.
Now, I'm not saying this because I dislike D.C. or Arlington. I love them both - even though D.C. feels like a war zone. That brings up another great point. How can D.C. rank so high when community/environmental factors are used, and murders in our nation's capital hit a two-decade high in 2023? Have the people who put these rankings together visited the D.C. metro area?
It's fair that people generally keep their appearances together because it's a city ruled by politics and ambition. Don't let it fool you. Most people drink too much, have awful diets and aren't overly healthy, and I feel confident saying that because I used to be fat doing many of those things!
Don't believe me? The photo comparison below is 100% real.
You think I'm wrong? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.*
*P.S.: I am literally going to get wings later tonight and I guarantee you the place will be packed.