Fattest and Fittest.

They say everything is bigger in Texas, but does the same go for Miami, New York and Las Vegas? According to an article by Men's Fitness, everything is bigger in those cities--and unfortunately it's not big where it counts.

Sure, obesity is a problem in this country, but when you think fat, you probably don't think Miami. So you may be surprised to find Men's Fitness magazine ranks Miami as the nation's fattest city in its annual survey.

The fittest? Salt Lake City.So what about the South Beach Diet... and all those buff bodies you always see in the ocean-side metropolis? Even though Miami has a high number of health-food stores per capita, Men's Fitness found it also has nearly three times the fast-food restaurants as the average city. And while there are 79 percent more gyms and health clubs than average, residents are less likely to regularly use their memberships. Not many residents take advantage of outdoor activities, either.

On the other end of the spectrum... Salt Lake City got top marks for being the fittest city because of its abundance of park space, athletically motivated residents, and below- average obesity rates. It ranks highest in the survey in the number of people who take part in activities like beach volleyball, racquetball, aerobics, hiking, basketball, yoga, tai chi, swimming, cycling, running, and kickboxing.

As for the rest of the country, here are the top 25 fittest and fattest
cities according to Men's Fitness:

Top Fittest Cities
1. Salt Lake City, UT
2. Colorado Springs, CO
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Denver, CO
5. Albuquerque, NM
6. Portland, OR
7. Honolulu, HI
8. Seattle, WA
9. Omaha, NE
10. Virginia Beach, VA
11. Milwaukee, WI
12. San Francisco, CA
13. Tucson, AZ
14. Boston, MA
15. Cleveland, OH

Top Fattest Cities
1. Miami, FL
2. Oklahoma City, OK
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Las Vegas, NV
5. New York, NY
6. Houston, TX
7. El Paso, TX
8. Jacksonville, FL
9. Charlotte, NC
10. Louisville-Jefferson, KY
11. Memphis, TN
12. Detroit, MI
13. Chicago, IL
14. Dallas-Fort
Worth, TX
15. San Jose, CA
16. Tulsa, OK
17. Baltimore, MD
18. Columbus, OH
19. Raleigh, NC
20. Philadelphia, PA

Well, of course Minneapolis is the fittest large city in America (Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City don't count for major metropolitans, in my opinion). Because, well, it's amazing (and during the winter they're doing ANYTHING to make it seem like it's warmer outside!) I was surprised, however, to see Columbus as one of the fatter cities. I would think with Ohio State and the large youth/biking community it would be considered a fitter city. I'm shocked Cleveland is considered the fit city in Ohio, too! Maybe it's because there is nothing else to do in Cleveland? :-)