Yakima weights in at No. 8 in list of fattest cities

YAKIMA, Wash. -- It all depends on how the numbers are sliced and diced -- or deep-fried as the case may be -- but by one measure Yakima is the eighth-fattest city in the country.

QualityHealth, an online newsletter run by a for-profit marketing company, recently published a list of the top 10 heaviest metropolitan statistical areas (MSA).

Yakima County, which makes up one MSA, makes the unfortunate cut, one notch above Fayetteville, N.C., and one below Scottsbluff, Neb.

The rankings are based on data from the Centers for Disease Control. Many of the areas are rural and low-income. Huntington, W. Va., and Ashland, Ky., for example, are the most rotund.

A common theme is that fat cities don't provide enough walking space for residents. Densely populated, urban areas tend to be slimmer.

"Among other things, thinner communities had better access to exercise facilities and healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables," the newsletter said.

Rankings are also based on a CDC survey that asked people when they most recently participated in physical activity.

Those with the largest percentage of people answering "no" got a higher rank. Nearly a quarter of Yakima residents reported having had no exercise in the last 30 days.

Information from the American Podiatric Medical Association's best cities for walking was also used in the ranking.

The article mentions at least one local program trying to make a difference. "Health is in your hands," or "Salud en sus Manos," is an effort to improve the nutrition of higher-risk residents, many of whom are poor and Latino.

The Yakima Health District also has a program in connection with local schools called "Rev it up!"

* Leah Beth Ward can be reached at 577-7626 or lward@yakimaherald.com.

Top 10 Fattest Cities
? 1. Huntington, W. Va.-Ashland, Ky.
? 2. Yuma, Ariz.
? 3. Jackson, Miss.
? 4. San Antonio, Texas
? 5. Augusta, Ga.
? 6. El Paso, Texas
? 7. Scottsbluff, Neb.
? 8. Yakima
? 9. Fayetteville, N.C.
? 10. Little Rock, Ark.

Source: QualityHealth.com