And America's largest city is...

New report healthiest metropolitan areas

By Brenda Goodman

HealthDay reporter

Wednesday, may 29 HealthDay News) - it's a three - peat. In the third year in a row is the Minneapolis-St. Paul-u-Bahn area in America, according to the American College of sports medicine annual ranking released Wednesday the strongest.

American fitness index, or AFI, said Walter Thompson, "Minneapolis may use the resources that they have, Chairman of the Advisory Committee, that the report drawn up under the snow for three months, but they" called.

"We are very satisfied," said Mayor of Minneapolis r.t.1. Rybak in an interview with HealthDay. "We get up off the couch every season."

To compile the annual rankings, the AFI included City account policies, community resources, health care access, the local prevalence of chronic diseases and preventive practices in 50 metro areas in the United States.

Minneapolis leaders: 78.2 points. It was closely followed by Washington, D.C. with 77.7 points. Portland, Oregon/United States, San Francisco and Denver rounded the top five.

At the bottom were Memphis, Tennessee, Louisville, KY, San Antonio and Detroit. Oklahoma City ranked again last in the nation for measures of health. It has fallen every year since 2008, the first year the AFI ranking at the end of the list.

Despite its dead last position, Oklahoma City makes positive changes. Thompson pointed out that debuted the city on the list with a score of 24 points. The Metro area of 31.2 on measures of health, wellness, and fitness achieved this year. The American College of sports medicine met with city guide 2011, to work on a plan to improve the fitness of the city.

Portland and Denver were the biggest movers on the list. Portland jumped from seventh place in the year 2012 at the number-three slot in this year instead. Denver jumped from number nine, number five.

Thompson said that most do cities, to make the big moves on the list due to the significant changes. They give more money for parks, for example, or they adopt citywide smoking ban.

What differentiates the leading cities? Thompson noted that they each have an infrastructure that supports the physical activity. And they appreciate their city parks. Minneapolis-St. Paul, spend, for example, approximately $227 per person per year on city parks. Oklahoma City spends $60 per person per year, according to a 2012-trust for public land, however, far less about report.

More than half of the population in the twin cities say they are at least moderately physically active. This may be because they have more playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, baseball diamonds and dog of parks per capita than in other cities. You are also tend to public transport or bike or walk to work, according to the report.