Bethesda, MD named healthiest city for women by SELF magazine

SELF magazine has conducted its America's Best Places for Women survey by examining 100 of the largest metropolitan areas around the country. The survey, in its 9th year, is one of the most comprehensive of its kind. The magazine analyzes roughly 8,000 points of information, in more than 50 categories, including important health indicators like death and chronic disease rates, environmental influences on health, community resources, and lifestyle habits. This year our own Bethesda, MD tops the list as the healthiest city for women. 

Bethesda bumped last year's winner, San Francisco, off the throne, thanks to some of the nation's lowest rates of smoking, obesity, cancer, depression, and heart disease, according to SELF.  Bethesda is also home to 34,000 acres of parks and 100 miles of trails. Bethesda residents also have access to a well-developed commuting system, that includes the Metrorail and Metrobus system, as well as the Bethesda Circulator, a free trolley that makes it way through downtown Bethesda regularly.

According to SELF News and Health Features Director, Sara Austin, the survey is a "tool to help our readers become more active in their communities. It is also a celebration of the many cities around the country that have made strides to help women live a healthy lifestyle. But wherever your hometown ranks, you can always make differences, both big and small. SELF and Self.com have simple tips and expert advice to rally your neighbors, friends and family and motivate everyone to improve their life and make their town greener and healthier, regardless of their ZIP code."

The top 5 healthiest cities for women in the U.S. are:

1. Bethesda, MD
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Honolulu, HI
4. Nassau-Suffolk counties (Long Island), NY
5. Cambridge, MA

I grew up on Long Island, so that's pretty cool!

To learn more about the survey, or see where other cities from around the country measure up, check out SELF magazine's website.

Happy running!