Facebook has released a colorful graph ranking the fittest cities in the countryvia their Facebook Stories app. Other categories in the infographic include official sounding titles like “Dancing City,” “Swimming City,” “Marathon City,” and “Yoga City.” The graphic contains some sweet clip art and most of the cities make sense; Austin is definitely full of Yogis, OKC just collectively lost one million pounds so they must be fit, and Portland is a utopia populated by trendy entrepreneurs so they’re on the list by default.
In the release, Facebook’s Mandy Zibart said, “Ranking of the fittest cities is based on fitness-related mentions, check-ins and use of fitness apps over a period of three months in U.S. cities with at least 200,000 Facebook users.” We think it’s a lot of talk though. Some of the cities included in the graph must have been giving themselves too much credit when they shared their activities, as some of the data is contradictory with other, more fact-based studies.
Facebook claims that El Paso and San Antonio, TX are among the 10 fittest cities in America. Earlier this year, Men’s Health listed both of those cities among the fattest in the nation, citing obesity and lack of physical activity among the population, and the prevalence of fast food joints in the area. (more…)
In the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s 29-point blowout over the Houston Rockets in the NBA Playoffs last week, a CBS Houston relationship columnist named Claire Crawford felt inclined to give sports blogging a shot.
Crawford’s first foray into this new medium was epic. She’s become a search bar staple, but not because of her prodigious basketball analysis. Here’s what she took away from the game: “The Rockets looked terrible in Game 1,”—obvious, but so far so good—”but some say they weren’t the only bad-looking people on the court.” The rest of the prose is a bit elementary, so I’ll sum it up for you. She more or less called Thunder cheerleader Kelsey Williams “too chunky” for her position. Queue the social media firestorm.
The passive aggressive jab at the beautiful and fit Williams has Claire Crawford—pen name of real life blogger Anna-Megan Raley—in some hot water. Disdain for Crawford/Raley has been universal, and support for Williams has poured in from all over the web. The reasoning behind Crawford’s criticism is all speculation, but one could assume she might have been trying to boost her own self-esteem. It’s also insane; Kelsey Williams is an athlete, and a gorgeous one at that. Maybe Crawford just wanted to get her 15 retweets of fame, or maybe it’s a reflection of our society’s sea change in perception of beauty. (more…)
Oklahoma, the sixth fattest state according to last summer’s U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, has lost one million pounds. OKC Mayor Mick Cornett launched the “This City is Going on a Diet”campaign in 2024 in response to the city’s obesity epidemic. The Big Friendly had consistently been ranked as one of the fattest cities, so Cornett got proactive and hit the red-dirt road to spread the word. When he appeared on Ellen to promote the initiative, thousands of new citizens joined the cause.
The “This City is Going on a Diet” website provided several resources to aid citizens in their weight loss journey. Participants were able to track their weight, browse diets andworkout regimens, view videos, and get tips from expert trainers and dietitians. (more…)
Can Oklahoma handle the Heat? We’ll find out when the NBA Finals tip off tonight in Oklahoma City. The city is used to sweltering temperatures and humidity, but can it stand up to the kind that the Miami Heat no doubt packed with them?
It’s LeBron vs. Durant, from fabulous Florida to the heart of the country. Fans are already on edge as the 8:00 pm game time ticks nearer. If you aren’t cramming in to the Chesapeake Arena in downtown OKC, then you probably plan on cramming on to your sofa with some homemade snacks. In the spirit of both teams, we’ve come up with a few locally-inspired, game-friendly foods that are actually good for you.
Ready to Thunder Up? If you’re cheering for Oklahoma City this week then you’ll want to eat a few local favorites. When hanging out near the arena, Fuzzy’s Tacos is an excellent restaurant choice, with a variety of grilled fish and chicken tacos lightly topped with vegetables in a corn tortilla. However, if you’re parked at home, try these: (more…)
America is the home of the free and the… unhealthy? Although Americans have earned this reputation recently due to our many fast food restaurants, hectic lifestyles, and lack of focus on balance in our everyday lives, we should not automatically be assumed to be an unhealthy nation.
Minneapolis, MN is America's Healthiest City
There are plenty of Americans – including you, if you are reading this article and visiting this website – who really do care about maintaining healthy lives by eating nutritious and balanced diets while also exercising on a regular basis. Now, the American College of Sports Medicine has compiled much data and researched statistics that prove that many American cities are actually very healthy. The 50 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the USA were evaluated on the personal health of their citizens, community data, and environmental data, and assigned a score from 1-100.
According to this report, Minneapolis, MN was the healthiest city in the USA with a score of 77.2. The unhealthiest city was Oklahoma City, OK with a score of 24.6.
We haven’t investigated this admittedly, but we’re pretty sure no one has ever gained 15 pounds in two weeks on Biggest Loser. Probably not the record Don Evans was hoping to set as a contestant in season 11, but one he at least half-willingly helped create. In week four he and now-eliminated twin brother Dan Evans both gained nine pounds. Then, in week five, admitting to being home sick, Don owned up to throwing the weigh-in so he’d fall below the yellow line and go home. (more…)
See our exclusive elimination interview with Dan Evans:
Just when you think you’ve seen it all on Biggest Loser, you see something new. Twins Dan Evans and Don Evans stepped on the scale for the week-three weigh-in and both posted nine-pound gains, something he calls “a debacle.” That’s right, gains. The trainers and contestants, as well as fans watching at home, immediately dismissed the action as game play, suggesting the brothers threw the weigh-in in their favor. In what favor would that be? Well, Dan, a 54-year-old police captain from Oklahoma City, had made it clear he missed his wife and young daughter, Maddy, at home and was ready to leave. So when the two obviously fell below the yellow line, gaining a combined 18 pounds for the week, Irene’s one vote sent him home.
We spoke with Dan about walking out on the game. You’ll hear his defensive reaction saying he didn’t “selfishly squander an opportunity to be on the Biggest Loser.” He also talks about what he meant by telling Jillian Michaels “We’ll fix it,” after the weigh in.
“I didn’t prohibit someone from coming on the program,” says Dan. But disappointed fans on Twitter during the show would beg to differ. Hundreds of thousands of individuals apply for the show each season and Dan was fortunate to earn one of those coveted and rare 22 positions. Whether they did or didn’t, only they will know. (more…)
Oklahoma City is the capitol of Oklahoma and is known for its top livestock market. Oklahoma City is the largest city in Oklahoma with a population of almost 600,000. The metropolitan area population is just over 1.2 million people and it is the eighth largest city in the nation by land area.
Oklahoma City has a humid subtropical climate and the average yearly temperature is around 60 degrees. Fitness in the midwest isn’t as booming as fitness on the coasts, but Oklahoma City does have plenty of elite exercise facilities. Check out the best gyms in Oklahoma City below!
Best Gyms in Oklahoma City:
Shape Fitness: With six premier locations, you have no excuse not to check out this amazing facility today. This facility offers state of the art fitness equipment, MMA (mixed-martial arts) training facility, open twenty-four hours a day, huge kids play area, and low monthly membership rates. Check out Shape Fitness today! (more…)
To add insult to injury- Oklahoma City/Tulsa showed up as the number one “junk food obsessed city” on a new Forbes list. Correct me if I’m wrong- but aren’t Taco Bell tacos junk food? Even if they are on a “healthier” menu?
I’m not trying to beat-up on Oklahoma City today. I love that city- I went to college at OU. It’s heartbreaking to see how poor the health is due to obesity, 27% of the population according to this Forbes report.
Also on the list:
1. Memphis
2. Birmingham
3. San Antonio
5. Detroit
9. Kansas City
13. New Orleans
16. Atlanta
While the Oklahoma City Mayor, Mick Cornett, is encouraging his city to lose a million pounds and get off the list of fattest cities in the US, there seem to be a lot of obstacles. Allowing Taco Bell to partner with the OKC Million Pound Challenge seems like one that could have been avoided. Oklahoma City should stand as an example for the many other cities it shares a place with on the obesity list.
What do you think about the cities on the list? Are weight loss efforts taking place in your own hometown? What do you think about Taco Bell partnering with OKC?
As the mayor of one of the country’s fattest cities, Mick Cornett is not taking this one sitting down. He appeared on Ellen’s show last week where he introduced the country to Oklahoma City’s million pound weight loss initiative- This City is Going On A Diet. They built a Web site of the same name where Oklahoma City citizens can create a free account, track their weight and find valuable resources to help them in their effort.
There is a generous list of weight loss programs, local trainers and nutritionists and other advice about eating right and staying active. Mayor Cornett explains that without the program and the site “We’d be doing a disservice to our citizenry by pretending the obesity epidemic is going away on its own. We have to change what we expect. This is something that we as a community can take on and turn around.”
Since launching This City is Going on a Diet January 1, Oklahoma City has lost more than 13,000 pounds. The goal is for the city to lose a million pounds- and unlike the Just Lose It Meridian campaign in Meridian, MS championed by fellow mayor John Robert Smith, Oklahoma City doesn’t have a deadline. “There’s no time limit on the program. As long as it’s working and successful- there’s no reason to stop it,” explains Mick.
In addition to putting the resources together to create this weight loss program, Oklahoma City also has 300 miles of new sidewalks planned and putting in nearly 50 new elementary gymnasiums. “We have to turn the culture to a community that places a high priority on healthcare, values young people and is more pedestrian friendly,” says Mick. What does Oklahoma City gain in return? The Mayor says “We gain a more energetic workforce and citizenry.”
While Oklahoma City tops the country in the most fast food restaurants per capita in the U.S. (a fact the Mayor places on being an auto-based community and the low price of land making it easy for companies to support their business model), it has no plans to put a moratorium on the opening of these restaurants.
The Mayor was headed out yesterday to Washington D.C. for the bi-annual Conference of Mayors. While the agenda is set in advance and no discussion about Oklahoma City’s or Meridian’s weight loss initiatives are slated, he imagines he’ll have an opportunity to share thoughts with Mayor John Robert Smith among others to compare notes and possibly encourage others to follow suit.
The Mayor seems to be traveling a lot- as he’s just back from his visit to Ellen in L.A. Of his visit with Ellen? “It was a lot of fun. I was so impressed by her talent.” He thought that compared to her, and what her audience is used to, he thought his topic was a little mundane. But apparently Ellen helped spread the word because OKC’s This City is Going on a Diet had 2,000 sign-ups that day alone.
As per usual with Ellen’s guests, everyone was anticipating a dance from Mayor Cornett. He got off easy since the host was sick that day, but he says “I was prepared if necessary, but not disappointed about not dancing.”
Thanks Mayor for visiting with us today- and good luck to Oklahoma City on shedding those pounds!
When Ellen De Generes learned that Oklahoma City was listed as one of the fattest cities in the nation, with a 28% obesity rate, she made one very simple and seemingly obvious suggestion to the city’s mayor to help the problem. “Wouldn’t it be fun if he was just asking them to move?” joked Ellen.
Fortunately for the citizens of Oklahoma City, Ellen’s plan of relocation will not go into effect. However, Mayor Mick Cornett’s plan will- a challenge to the city to lose one million pounds. January 1 the city launched its weight loss initiative “this city is going on a diet.” To date, those registered on the site have lost more than 9,000 pounds. It’s a long way from the one million pound goal, but one the mayor anxiously supports in both launching the challenge and making the city more exercise friendly. OKC has 300 miles of sidewalks planned and adding 47 new gyms to area grade schools. Before leaving, Mayor Cornett named Jan. 26 Ellen day in Oklahoma City.
Do you know who was also on Ellen today? Biggest Loser’s WHITE TEAM!! Neill and Amanda were part of what was shaping up to be a Sooner state day on the show. They were all smiles and looked fantastic! Neill’s lost 30 pounds since leaving the show, a total of 55, with 170 to go to meet his goal of 190. A lot of numbers in there, so keep up with me! Amanda has lost another 26 since leaving Biggest Loser, a total of 45, with 39 to go to meet her goal of a sexy-thin 120 pounds! They feel more successful than back at the ranch because it’s part of their daily routine, in their environment and it’s not as extreme. Plus, they have the support of their family. How about this? They continue to workout two to three hours each day. Great job guys!
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Just when you think you’ve seen it all on 