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LOOK AROUND, we’ve just been cited No. 1 in “fat prevalence” in the country. That’s a fancy scientific way of saying we’re the fattest city in the country, when compared with 150 of the most populous cities in the nation. This is not good news!
And how does that square with the fact that The Burgh ranks as the 17th-best city for the number of healthy restaurants per capita? Does that mean we head out to healthy restaurants and then just eat too much?
Fat prevalence has consequences, too: The Burgh in the top third of cities (No. 46, to be precise) in weight-related problems.
WalletHub.com, which recently announced its 2017 rankings, compared all sorts of metrics, such as “cost of doctor visit” and “fruit and vegetable consumption” and “fitness clubs per capita.” Overall, Pittsburgh ranks 44th among the 150 cities in overall health, so there’s room for congratulations and room for improvement.
Here’s how to read the numbers below: There are four major categories, Health Care, Food, Fitness and Green Space.
Then there are the particulars. For the cost of a medical visit, Pittsburgh is No. 32, meaning a Pittsburgh doc or hospital will charge more than one in Jacksonville, Florida, or Laredo, Texas, the two least expensive cities, but less than Nos. 1 through 31. The overall health ranking of 44 includes cost but also the “premature death rate,” the number of family doctors per capita and other metrics.
So let’s hold our heads up high—but make plans to do better next year.
—Nancy McKeon
SOURCE: WalletHub.com
