If you're a walker, then Prevention's list of the country's most walkable cities probably caught your eye. Here's another list for you, only this time the American College of Sports Medicine took things up a notch.

Rather than focus on just one aspect -- walk-ability or pollution, for example -- the ACSM rated the most populous metro areas by what they call the American Fitness Index. It's a snapshot of a city's wellness in regards to preventative health care, chronic diseases, access to health care and community resources and policies. Basically, it measures how a city promotes wellness among its citizens, and how healthy those citizens are.

Let's take a look at the top three:

• Washington, D.C.: Topping the list is our nation's capital. A high number of residents there eat five or more fruits and vegetables a day, they have access to farmer's markets, they're more likely to bike or walk to work and a lower number of residents are currently smoking. According to the AFI, D.C. could use more parks and playgrounds, however.
• Minneapolis, MN: Folks in Minnesota aren't eating as many fruits and veggies, but they do have plenty of parkland for outdoor exercise. They've also made great use of recreation centers and have a high requirement for mandated physical education classes.
• Denver, CO: Denver residents don't have good access to farmer's markets, but they do have a higher level of residents who are at least moderately active and have a lower obesity rate.

Interested in reading more? Read AFI's full report, or find your own city on AFI's quick view map.

What did you think about the AFI? Was your city on the list? How did it rank? And did any cities surprise you?

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While our health is largely reliant on the effort we put into it -- eating healthfully, exercising regularly, and getting proper medical care -- our environment can make a big impact on our health. Economic considerations and the structure of a city are just two components that can affect health.

The CDC does an annual health survey that asks city residents to rate their overall health as excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. And while the CDC itself doesn't (quote-unquote) rank cities based on their surveys, their database does order the cities based on the results.

When all self-reported ratings are considered, Lincoln, Nebraska gets top honors -- 92.8% of residents state their health is good or better. Huntington, West Virginia comes in last on the 184-city list -- nearly half of the adults in Huntington are obese, but the mayor (who recently lost 80 pounds) says that the city's economic woes are of greater focus.

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Here's a random-sounding connection: The older your house, the healthier you are. Confused? I know what you're thinking: How does one factor have anything to do with the other? Don't worry; there's a perfectly reasonable explanation.

It's not so much about the age of your house--it's about the age of your neighbourhood. You see, old neighbourhoods tend to be more walkable, whereas newer neighbourhoods tend to be built around this unfortunate habit we've developed of driving everywhere. And not so surprisingly, how walkable a neighbourhood is has a direct impact on the levels of obesity in the area.

So next time you're in the market for a house, consider buying into a older neighbourhood--or at least one where you can walk to the store.

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According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), if you live in Austin TX or Boston MA you might want to think twice before going out to eat.

CSPI has ranked 20 US cities from best to worst using criteria from the city's food inspectors. The ranking considers "how often city inspectors found five major health hazards and five less critical concerns in 30 high-end, medium-range, and fast-food eateries in each city." Hand washing, maintaining food at a proper temperature, and improper cooking are some of the major health hazards. Minor infractions include poor employee cleanliness and hygiene, rodent and/or insect infestation, presence of sick restaurant workers, and contact of bare hands with food.

The CSPI encourages cities to adopt a restaurant grading program similar to a program in LA County where restaurants have to post what health inspection grade they received -- A, B, or C. (Lower grades would result in temporary or permanent closure).

Keep reading to see the CSPI's "Dirty Dining" list from worst to best.

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I was roaming around Central Park this week while working in New York City , and came across the nicest yet strangest thing. This man, pictured at right, was ambitiously pursuing a workout in the park. That's the nice part.

The weird part is two-fold. First oddity, he was only wearing his boxer shorts. I suppose that is better than frolicking around in a pair of bikini briefs, but still ... it looked a bit silly to me. The second bit of strangeness was his routine. Of course I'm always telling you guys and gals to 'just move', but this dude took that movement to another level.

He flailed his arms around, tip toe jogged in circles, and frequently practiced handstands (at right) against this tree. I both admired his ambitiousness and marveled at his lack of concern for what others thought. I also giggled a lot too.

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It's not about the bike, said Lance Armstrong in his book about his fight with cancer. In the fight against breast cancer, though, it is about the bike. It's a bit about chocolate too. And let me tell you, after a 220-mile bike ride from Hershey, Pa. to New York City, riders are going a deserve a bite of the sweet treat this starting city is famous for.

The Hershey's Tour de Pink bike ride, benefiting the Young Survival Coalition -- a non-profit network dedicated to the issues unique to young women and breast cancer -- aims to spread hope and awareness while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Four days of riding from October 3-6 is all it takes. If you can't make it to the big event, you can virtually tackle your miles at home.

The Virtual Ride challenges riders to pedal 220 miles from now until October 6. Start logging the miles you cover on quick rides through your neighborhood or on your stationary-bike excursions. Participate as an individual or form a team. It doesn't matter, as long as you register and ride. Raise a minimum $250 and you'll receive an official Hershey's Tour de Pink jersey. One-hundred percent of the money raised will go to the YSC.

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I just returned from ESPN the Weekend, at Disney World's Hollywood Studios. One of the highlights for me was when I stumbled across an interesting conversation between football all-stars Donovan McNabb, Chris Carter, Tony Gonzalez and a few others. The men were on an open stage being interviewed my Mike Greenberg of the Mike and Mike Show. What caught my attention was the taunting of Tony Gonzalez with strange veggie jokes. Why were they poking fun at this "lettuce man"? Little Miss Fitzness had to stop and listen.

The taunting was followed by Kansas City Chief tight-end Tony defending his vegan lifestyle. I was both surprised and impressed. Tony was bragging about his ability to jump rope and hit the weight room while his teammates were stuck in the mud the day after a game. He's beaten lethargy, increased his energy, and found many more fascinating benefits since he changed his eating habits. The nearly 250 pound tight end is not someone anyone would guess to be a vegan, but I think that's why he's so neat.

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Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is hating this news: His city has been named the fattest city in the nation.

Men's Fitness magazine has bestowed the honor of America's Fattest City on Las Vegas for the second year in a row. Basing its decision on at least 24 different factors -- sports participation rates, time spent working out, number of parks, average commute time, television viewing rates, legislative health initiatives -- this list, which shows Texas as a pretty porky state too, is meant to encourage cities to be healthier.

Mayor Goodman calls the magazine's study irresponsible journalism. Rather than taking offense, says editor in chief Roy Johnson, Goodman should use Sin City's placement on the list as motivation.

"Instead of shooting the messenger, go out for a run," Johnson says. "We use a lot of data, and we're very rigorous about this."

Maybe Goodman should shape up his city, like Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett did after placing 15th on last year's list. Cornett issued a city-wide plan to lose a collective one million pounds. This year, his city ranks 8th.

Cities that turned up pretty healthy include Colorado Springs, Minneapolis, Albuquerque, Denver, and Portland, Oregon. Why are these locations so fit? Minneapolis has more basketball courts and gyms per capita than any other city, Albuquerque has 57 percent fewer drinking establishments per capita than the national average, Denver tops participation rates in running, biking, and walking, and Portland folks reportedly eat lots of fruits and veggies.

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What makes a city sexy? The first things that pop into my mind are things like lots of sun, sand, and buff physiques dressed in skimpy swimwear. But that's not really what this list is about -- instead we're looking at the American cities that don't necessarily look the sexiest, but feel the sexiest instead. Or, as Forbes (who compiled the list) says, feel the most "lustful." (Yeah, I should have called this post "America's Horniest Cities!")

Anyway, who do you think came out on top of the list? Forbes took into account things like contraceptive and condom sales in the nation's 50 biggest cities to determine who is having the most sex -- do you think a buff-beach-body town landed as #1? Think again -- good 'ol Denver CO is in first place, followed by San Antonio, TX and Portland, OR tied for 2nd. Surprised? I am, actually! See the rest of the top lustful cities (and let us know if you're lucky enough to live in one!):

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Katie Holmes, refreshed and sporting black, open-toed heels, attended husband Tom Cruise's Lions for Lambs movie premiere on Sunday night -- just after she'd finished running the New York City Marathon.

No major recovery was required for Holmes, who finished the race in 5:29:58.

"Isn't she amazing?" said mom Kathy of her 28-year-old daughter. "She's such a good girl. We're so proud." Hubby Tom echoed the sentiment.

"I know, I know. It's amazing."

It is amazing. I am so impressed by those who can finish such a grueling 26.2-mile challenge. Truly impressed.

Way to go, Katie!

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

On June 21, hundreds of people celebrated the start of summer on the longest day of the year by commencing yoga class in a city marked by madness. Smack dab in New York City's Times Square, on the island at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets, yoga enthusiasts rolled out their mats and set up shop for the annual Mind Over Madness Yoga event. This year's extravaganza was the largest ever.

The purpose of this yoga fest? To face the challenge of finding tranquility and transcendence in the midst of the world's most commercial and frenetic place.

If ever we all have something in common, it must be the desire to find calm in the midst of chaos. Who doesn't want to breathe easy, rid themselves of anxiety, and tackle life with a peaceful energy? It's human nature to seek serenity.

While summer is behind us and the madness of this official event is long over, it's not to late to pull out your own yoga mat. Take it to the center of your own town if this strikes your fancy. Or simply find a quiet place and strengthen your mind, body, and spirit with the 3,000-year-old practice that is good for every bit and piece of your soul.

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The Taste of Buffalo is one of the nation's largest food festivals and attracts more than 450,000 people each year, and this year some of the fare will be just a little healthier. Scheduled for July 7th and 8th, the 24th annual Taste of Buffalo has made some healthy changes by requiring all food vendors to have at least one item on the menu that meets pre-set guidelines for fat, salt, and cholesterol.

The idea is not to completely change the flavors of the festival or force people to make healthy choices, but instead to give people the option of trying healthier fare and to show that foods with less salt and fat can still taste good. Some vendors have already been offering low-fat and low-salt options in years past and have had good success, so this year should be no different.

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It's that time again...allergy season. If there was ever a reason not to like spring, allergies would be it. And depending where you live, the issue may be even worse than for most. Forbes has compiled a list of the top 100 worst cities for spring allergies in the U.S.

Where does your city rank? Not so good if you live in one of the top three: Tulsa, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Fort Myers. But if you call #100 home, Fort Wayne Indiana, you're doing much better. As for me, I'm happy with a score of 64 -- at least it's in the bottom half!

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Obviously, air pollution is bad for everyone's health. That's the very definition of pollution. But a recent, very large, study of over 65,000 people shows that air pollution is much, much more dangerous than previously believed. This study, which is bigger and more detailed than previous research, looked primarily at women's health and found the risk of pulmonary and heart related problems to be almost directly proportionate to the pollution levels in different neighborhoods. Armed with this latest information, experts are pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to lower it's annual standard for the "fine particulates" that are used to measure air pollution levels.

Maybe I'm just really ignorant about pollution, but I've always thought it was made up of mostly microscopic particles. This article says that it would take only 30 of these particulates to equal the thickness of a human hair...that is scary big!

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2006 was a productive year for the citizens of Jackson, Alabama. Back in January of last year several of the town's citizens came together and started a widespread weight-loss campaign called "Get lost in Jackson" geared towards helping the town become healthier. The original goal was for 2,006 total pounds lost by the end of the year -- but they passed that mark in the first month! One member of the town even referred to the phenomenon as a "tsunami that overtook us." By the end of last month the "pound count" had reached 10,000.

It sounds like a cool idea, offering monthly prizes and all kinds of education and support. And are they finished now that they've hit such a remarkable milestone? Nope, many of the residents are already going for the 2007 round.

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