These 2 U S Cities Were Just Named Among The Unhealthiest On The Planet

A new Healthy Lifestyle Cities Report scored 44 international cities across 10 healthy living metrics and found that two popular American cities recently received a failing grade: Washington D.C. and New York City. Read on to learn why these cities ranked near last, and for more insights from around the country, check out  This Is the Most Dangerous State in America. First, let’s set the record straight, in defense of two of our nation’s great cities: the survey assessed just six major metropolitan areas in America, sparing plenty of cities from consideration. And while the list was somewhat comprehensive in its metrics for evaluation—including life expectancy, pollution rates, average hours worked, hours of sunshine, obesity rates, and self-reported happiness—there were important metrics left out, such as rate of chronic health conditions, cost of healthcare, as well as air and water quality. That being said, the list does serve to highlight some areas where Washington D.C. and New York fall short when it comes to health and wellness. Ranked 41st and 42nd out of 44 cities around the world, respectively, there’s certainly room for growth. While New York City fared better for having more outdoor activities, it also had higher rates of pollution and more than four times the number of takeout restaurants compared with Washington, D.C. Both had astronomical pricing for a monthly gym membership—$91 and $92.50 for New York and D.C., respectively. Meanwhile, the healthier end of the list was populated almost entirely with European cities, with one Australian city cracking the top five: Amsterdam, Sydney, Vienna, Stockholm, and Copenhagen made up the top five spots for their clean air, low obesity rates, high self-reported happiness, and more. Wondering how other U.S. cities fared in the rankings? Read on to discover which American city was the healthiest, and to find out which state you might be better off avoiding, This Is the Most Hateful State in America. 4 San Francisco
Rank: 34 Annual Hours of Sunshine: 3,062 Pollution Index: 47.36 Takeout Restaurants: 1,031 And for the latest news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. 3 Chicago
Rank: 30 Annual Hours of Sunshine: 2,508 Pollution Index: 43.33 Takeout Restaurants: 1,320 2 Boston
Rank: 27ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Annual Hours of Sunshine: 2,634 Pollution Index: 27.03 Takeout Restaurants: 588 And for more shocking insights about our nation’s cities, check out This Is the Most Hated City in America. 1 Los Angeles
Rank: 25 Annual Hours of Sunshine: 3,254 Pollution Index: 66.07 Takeout Restaurants: 1,439 And for more cities that earn poor health grades, This Is the Most Out-Of-Shape City in the U.S.