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You might consider Bethesda, Md., or one of nine other metropolitan areas with the most healthy and fit women in the country, according to an analysis in the December issue of Self magazine (www.self.com).

To come to up with the list, the magazine's editors had a panel of women's health experts examine 58 criteria from 100 of the largest metro areas as defined by the U.S. Census.

They looked at fitness and diet, weight, heart health, smoking rates and other health factors. They weighed access to health care, parks, trails and fitness centers, air quality, weather, commuting, smoke-free workplaces and farmers' markets.

Bethesda landed on top because women there have some of the lowest rates of smoking, obesity, cancer, depression and heart disease. And they have access to more doctors per capita than anywhere else, the magazine says. There also are acres of parks and miles of trails.

"You can be extremely healthy in a city that might not lend itself to it, but we are just saying these are the easiest places to get the job done," says Lucy Danziger, Self editor in chief.

"We don't want women to pack up the U-Haul and move, but what we want women to do is take on the habits of the healthiest women or work to change their own neighborhood to make it a better place to live."

How the cities stack up

BEST

Healthiest metro areas for women

Bethesda, Md.

San Francisco

Honolulu

Nassau, Suffolk counties

(Long Island), N.Y.

Cambridge, Mass.

Stamford, Conn.

New York City

Santa Ana, Calif.

San Jose, Calif.

Seattle

Fittest women: Santa Ana, Calif. They get nearly a third more vigorous exercise than the average woman in the survey.

Healthiest hearts: Minneapolis. Women have low levels of hypertension.

Healthiest eaters: San Francisco. Residents eat an average of 52 servings of fruit a month.

Most health clubs: Springfield, Mass.

Most likely to walk to work

New York City

Most likely to bike to work

San Francisco

WORST

Unhealthiest metros

Detroit

Gary, Ind.

St. Louis

Toledo

Oklahoma City

Indianapolis

Tulsa

Kansas City, Mo.

Cincinnati

Wichita

Fewest health clubs:

Fresno,... see more
   

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