Communities that promote active living by investing in infrastructure like bike lanes, parks, and sidewalks have healthier residents, according to a study of 48 cities by the Gallup Organization.
People who live in the five most active living communities, as ranked by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, had significantly lower obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and rates of depression compared to residents in communities with less active-living amenities. They also reported better exercise habits and lower levels of smoking. Boston and San Francisco garnered the highest scores for walkability, bike-ability, transit infrastructure and accessibility to parks followed by Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Scoring in the bottom of the 48 communities analyzed were Fort Wayne, Ind., Oklahoma City, Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Indiana, Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Tulsa, Okla.
