Fayetteville has landed a dubious spot among the unhealthiest cities in America.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be difficult. There are a plethora of factors that can influence a person’s health habits, including where they live. Some cities in America have a less-than-stellar track record when it comes to fostering physical health and wellness. Unfortunately, one of the worst offenders is the city of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
How To Determine the Unhealthiest Cities in America
WalletHub recently released a new study listing the healthiest and unhealthiest cities in America. Health experts analyzed 182 US cities while focusing on four key dimensions: Health Care, Food, Fitness, and Green Space.
Each dimension then contained different subcategories, each with different point distributions relative to their importance. For instance, the subcategory under Health Care with the highest priority was each city’s premature death rate. For the Food dimension, most attention was paid to inadequate food and vegetable consumption. Under the dimension of Fitness experts most heavily analyzed each city’s share of adults who engage in any physical activity. Finally, the Green Space dimension included factors like parkland acres per capita, along with the quality of the parks.
How Unhealthy Is Fayetteville?
Out of all 182 cities included in the city, Fayetteville was ranked among the bottom ten, sucking it in to fit at #176. Out of a possible 100 points once all four dimensions are added up, Fayetteville only scored a pitiful 32.8 overall. The city scored the worst in the Food dimension, which I think is to be expected in a town with a Krispy Kreme AND Cold Stone Creamery.
How To Lead A Healthier Lifestyle
In addition to conducting the study, WalletHub also reached out to health analysts across the country to get their insights on how people can practice healthier lifestyle habits. Columbia University professor Peter A. Muennig suggests forming bonds with other likeminded individuals. “As with choosing a healthy city, it is really a matter of surrounding yourself with people who have shared values of eating well and exercising,” says Muennig.
Here are some key takeaways from the study about the unhealthiest cities in America:
