Cold weather and busy schedules don’t deter Boston women from staying in shape.
According to a Self Magazine survey, Boston women are ranked the fifth healthiest overall place for women to live, in a survey released on Nov. 11.
The 11th annual survey analyzed data from 100 metro areas and BestPlaces.net to rank cities based on health, environment and happiness.
Boston ranked high due to the city’s concentration of doctors, with 114 percent more doctors than the average city, according to the survey. Many Bostonian commuters also bike, walk or use mass transportation to get to work more than the average metropolitan woman.
Cambridge took the number one spot as the healthiest city for women, according to the article, because women who live there have below average rates of obesity, cancer and depression.
In Cambridge, violent crimes and pedestrian deaths are also rare and 80 percent more women walk to work than in the average city, according to the article.
Ninety-seven percent of women in Cambridge also have health insurance, a benefit that the article attributes to the Massachusetts law that requires residents to be insured and helps those who cannot afford coverage.
Candice Belanoff, a research assistant professor in Boston University’s School of Public Health, said she doubted the article’s thoroughness.
“What is sort of conspicuously missing from the article is, for whom are these cities particularly healthy?” Belanoff said.
She said that the Cambridge and Newton areas consist predominately of white, upper-income citizens, which may affect the city’s health ranking.
“To just sort of say, ‘Oh, Boston’s good for women’s health’—it doesn’t really paint a nuanced picture of what’s going on for various populations of women,” she said. “What they’re giving is sort of a very crude look at the well being of women in cities, and it may be that you’re missing some quite large disparities.”
Belanoff said that the research should have taken into account disparities between women, including socio-economic status, she said.
College of Communication freshman Jennifer Mandelbaum said that she thinks at BU, the Farmer’s Market at the George Sherman Union on Thursdays and the Sargent Choice meals offered in the dining hall help promote a healthier lifestyle.
Boston’s college students might contribute to the high health ranking, seh said.
“I think Boston, with all of these college students, they’re all really concerned about eating organic and eating really healthy,” Mandelbaum said.
“So I think that Cambridge is also an area just like Boston where there are a lot of college students who are really concerned with having a healthy lifestyle.”
College of Arts and Sciences freshman Caroline Griswold said she walks a lot and wants to look into taking classes at one of the yoga studios throughout the city.
“I think people, especially with the young population, [are] very into staying fit and active,” Griswold said. “Plus we’re in New England so people are always really outdoorsy here.”
Self Magazine also ranked Des Moines, Iowa as the greenest city, Santa Barbara, Calif. as the healthiest eaters and Raleigh, N.C., as the happiest.
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