From flabby to fit - Editor's Letter - Philadelphia's efforts to improve health of citizens, fitness, reduce obesity

Men's Fitness, Feb, 2002 by Jerry Kindela

More than four years ago, MEN'S FITNESS noticed a disheartening and frightening trend--Americans were packing on the pounds around their midsections while packing cholesterol into their arteries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, 61 percent of the population was overweight. (It's only gotten worse. Based on the CDC's ongoing NHANES study, last year more than one-quarter of Americans were considered clinically obese.)

We saw a nation heading toward unprecedented increases in certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and heart attacks, type 2 diabetes and its many associated complications, osteoarthritis, hypertension and stroke.

To bring this to the attention of the American public, we created an annual national survey, "America's Fattest Cities." Our hope was to inspire dialogue about these health issues in communities across the country. As the skyline above our cover logo proclaims, this edition presents the results of our most recent survey. As always, the top 50 most populous cities are rated against a broad range of parameters: some soft factoids, like the number of fast-food emporia the local residents are willing to support; some hard science, like mortality rates. The report begins on page 68. We believe that if you keep beating the drum long enough and insistently enough, the message will eventually spread and people will take action.

During the past year, that seems to have been the case, as the health of the local citizenry has gained significant import within a growing number of mayors' offices. In large part, the city of Philadelphia and its mayor, John Street, helped politicize the issue nationally. Two years ago, Philadelphia was dubbed America's Fattest City, which prompted Mayor Street to create numerous health-and-fitness-awareness programs as part of his incoming administration's agenda. He hired a fitness czar, Gwen Foster, to ramrod numerous education and citizen-participation initiatives. Ultimately, through the involvement of local business and nonprofit organizational support, several programs were successfully launched. Within one year of implementing its health and fitness programs, Philly moved from fattest to third-fattest, and in 2001 it dropped another notch to fourth.

Amazingly, Philadelphia was able to get these programs off and running without tapping into city coffers. Rather, the city has been underwritten by contributions and support from private entities--everyone from the Philadelphia 76ers to the mother of all hoagie companies, Subway. Now that's what we call a whole community pulling together.

Last year, on the Fourth of July, MEN'S FITNESS awarded Philadelphia's efforts with our Fit City Achievement Award. Even more important, Mayor Street's work and successes have been recognized and his administration's counsel sought by a number of other U.S. cities (especially Houston, which was again dishonored with the distinction of Fattest City in America). This spring, Philadelphia will host numerous mayors from around the country, offering insight and strategies on setting up effective health, weight-loss and fitness plans across America.

We're pleased that our message of exercise and proper nutrition is being heard around the country. We're proud that we've been able to help spearhead this process. A healthy America is a strong America. Keep the faith. Keep fit.