San Diego ranks as the third-fittest metropolitan area in the U.S.

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – According to the eighth annual American Fitness Index, San Diego is the third-fittest metropolitan area in the U.S.
The report, released Tuesday, was done by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation. It is based on criteria such as park and recreation centers per capita, number of farmers’ markets, meeting aerobic activity guidelines, people consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables per day, and percentage of commuters who walk or ride bicycles. It also looked at the percentage of the population afflicted with obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

“The AFI is two things — a measure of how healthy a metro area is today, and a call-to-action for urban and suburban leaders to design infrastructures that promote active lifestyles and lead to positive health outcomes,” said Walter Thompson, chairman of the AFI Advisory Board. “Our goal is to provide communities and residents with resources that help them assess, respond and achieve a better, healthier life.”

San Diego had a higher level of residents with asthma and diabetes. Weirdly enough, San Diego had less swimming pools, tennis courts, and golf courses per capita than other cities, according to the index.

The Washington, D.C. area and Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked first and second respectively, the ACSM reported.