'Fattest cities' sparks furor

Men's Fitness, April, 2003

Ouch! And these were the printable ones.

Readers certainly had a lot to say about "America's Fattest Cities" [February], and the nonreaders who heard snippets of the story on TV and radio were even more vocal. Sounds like we struck a nerve through all that soft tissue.

As we explained in the article, we don't go from town to town with tape measures and calipers to gauge which city has the most lard per capita. As a fitness magazine, we're interested in how the aspects of each major metropolitan area help or hinder our readers in their quest to get fit and healthy. Therefore, environmental factors that residents cannot control form a large part of our survey.

You can argue that Memphis is fatter than New Orleans or vice versa, but you can't dispute the fact that two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. The fat epidemic costs us hundreds of billions of dollars in medical expenses and lost productivity. With "America's Fattest Cities," MEN'S FITNESS aims each year to bring some attention to this momentous problem. And we'll continue to help as many people as we can find their way to a fit and healthy life.

So, without further ado ...

I admit up front that I live in Houston. I think it is a great city to be athletically active in. Almost every sport in existence is played here year-round.

I challenge you and your writers to come to Houston, and then go to a place like Milwaukee (my hometown), Buffalo (my wife's hometown) or Cleveland. Take a look around and then say which is the fattest city. Your survey does a disservice to the public--it's good for a laugh or discussion, but that's about it.

--JOHN CHIRICHIGNO, HOUSTON, TX

I read recently that MEN'S FITNESS named Honolulu the fittest city in the nation. My response: You've got to be kidding! Have you or your writers been to Honolulu? This is a city on an island whose residents live for outdoor family barbecues every day of the week. They cook big pigs, eat all sorts of high-fat foods and wash them down with cases of beer. I can bet I wasn't the only Hawaii resident who didn't laugh while reading this article.

--ALLISON F. SPEER, HONOLULU, HI

I don't see how New York gets off being only the 15th-fattest city and Boston is the 12th. It's a well-known fact that New York Congressman Jerry Nadler weighs more than all of the inhabitants of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sheldon, Conn., combined! And don't get me started on Boston. Favorite son Ted Kennedy puts the "mass" in Massachusetts.

--MIKE HANSEN, LAKEWOOD, IL

New York City should be [listed as] one of the most fit cities. Most New Yorkers take the subway and, in addition, average about a mile walk or run to their job site. As a Clevelander who visits the Big Apple, I've noticed that fat is not accepted of any age or sex.

--BRUCE REY, CLEVELAND, OH

I was amazed that you did not research Orlando, Fla. As the No. 2 market for population growth, it is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. As is the nature of us Floridians, I demand a recount!

--DANIEL LEE, ORLANDO, FL

Dude, have you seen the people in Pittsburgh? Talk about unfit!

--TED PHILLIPPI, PITTSBURGH, PA

You have missed the real fattest city in the U.S.--Bakersfield, Calif. Have a look and see if you agree.

--PAUL RICKER, BAKERSFIELD, CA

You guys are morons. Your report card says that the air and water in Minnesota earns an F for quality. Minnesota has 15,000 lakes and has a very clean environment. Visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web site for some facts.

--SCOTT KEISTER, MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Your method for ranking cities is absolutely bogus. People in Chicago are much fitter than, for instance, people in Kansas City, where I grew up. Your research methods are stupid, at best. If you want help with trying to do this the right way, I, or someone like me, can help. If you want to keep looking like fools to intelligent people who won't buy your magazine, that's your choice.

--KENT PERRY, M.D., Los ANGELES, CA

This is the worst journalism I've seen in years. Have you ever heard of statistical sampling?

How can you publish a characterization of a city as "fat" without doing a sampling of the population? Your criteria no more measure health than your typesetting measures the quality of your articles.

--CHRIS CANTELE, HOUSTON, TX

I can agree that Detroit is the third-fattest city. It even bothers me, since I am a health-conscious individual. What I don't agree with is how your magazine diminishes the reputation of our city. Because of [media coverage] like yours, people think that Detroit is a terrible place to live. If Detroit and Honolulu somehow traded places, I bet people in Honolulu would be more unfit. I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy running/jogging in 15- to 30-degree temperatures.

--ADISON G.R. MARTIN, DETROIT, MI

Our goal was to create a dialogue about this critical issue, and judging by your letters, we succeeded. Thanks for your responses--even the cons. From dialogue comes action, and hopefully we have inspired people across the country to take the steps necessary to turn their health and fitness around for the better.