Is England Following Oklahoma City to Be One of the "Unfittest" Places in the World?

Oklahoma City was named as one of the most unfit cities in the nation by "Self" magazine. The news has prompted Mayor Mick Cornett to issue a "fitness challenge" to his residents and is encouraging employers to help their employees lead healthier lifestyles. However, will this fall on deaf ears?

When I moved to England five years ago, I was one of the fattest people in the entire town. Everywhere I went around Essex and in London, I rarely saw people my size. And yes, I was overweight in Oklahoma, but there were many many more people much more overweight than I was. You could see them at the all-you-can-eat restaurants, fast food drive-thrus or any number of cheap eating places. That is how most Oklahomans get fat and unfit. Fattening food is dirt cheap and lack of exercise. I used to use exercise videos in my home to help and then I got into horse back riding and later had my own stable to maintain so that helped me burn calories, but it didn't help much when I was consuming mass portions of fast food and dining out too often.

In the summer in Oklahoma, it's too hot for most of the day to exercise outside. You are trapped inside your house. Then it's too cold in the winter. Nobody ever walks anywhere because it's too far between places to go. We are in our cars, at our desks or on our couches most of the time unless you make a conscious effort to get out and do something about your figure.