At any given hour, the streets of Provo are chock full of runners.

No wonder Provo was ranked No. 2 on Self Magazine's recent list of healthiest places for women.

In its October issue, Self compared the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, to find out where women are best able to live healthy and happy lives.

"What we try to do is look at the gamut of what makes a woman healthy," said Patti Wolter, senior editor at Self Magazine.

Wolter said the study evaluated air quality, rates of rape and violent crime, body mass index, access to doctors and hospitals, expenditures on fruits and vegetables, motor vehicle fatalities, and exercise, smoking, drinking and depression rates.

"It's a comprehensive look at what kinds of places have access to things that make a woman healthy, as well as where people are living healthy lives," Wolter said.

Provo - which followed San Francisco on the list - fared well on several levels. Low smoking and drinking rates boosted Provo's rankings, along with the lowest cancer rates out of any city on the study.

Wolter said Provo women also rated well on exercise, depression rates and an obesity index determined by both height and weight. While the national average is 26, Provo's average is 23.9, Wolter said.

"Folks in Provo, the biggest thing you have going for you is a healthy lifestyle," Wolter said. "You don't drink, you don't smoke, you have easy access to outdoors, and you have an active population.... I say kudos."

Wolter said the life expectancy of Provo residents was in the top 4 percent on the list.

Joseph Miner, Executive Director of Utah County Health Deaprtment attributes some of this Provo's young population.

With more than 50,000 BYU and UVSC students, Provo is saturated with young - and healthy - college students.

According to the 2000 census, Provo's median age is 22.9 years old - the lowest of any other U.S. city with a population of more than 100,000.

"We have a relatively young population," Miner said. "That always helps make us healthier."

Other college towns fared well also; San Luis Obispo, home of California Poly State University, was ranked No. 5 on the list. Boulder was ranked No. 8, and Boston was No. 10.

"College towns are traditionally very healthy," Miner said. "Education helps with health."

Wolter said Provo's low smoking and drinking rates gave it an edge over other college towns.

"Drinking and smoking at other colleges is usually a big problem," Miner said. "That is a factor that would make us have a big advantage over others."

Some factors on the study, however, left room for improvement, Wolter said.

For example, Provo has a low number of hospital beds per capita.

But Miner said since Provo residents are generally healthy, more hospital beds are not needed. He said more hospital beds would go unused, and would actually increase health insurance costs.

Environmental health was also rated low on the Self survey, which Miner attributed to occasional inversion problems.

Clear air laws, which ban smoking in public places, help counteract pollution problems.

Provo's population is growing by leaps and bounds. U.S. Census data cites says Utah County's population jumped nearly 40 percent between 1990 and 2000.

Miner said that puts Provo's high level of health at risk. When a population increases, health problems tend to increase as well, he said.

"Part of the challenge might not be to improve, but just to stay as good as we are," Miner said.

Both Wolter and Miner said Provo residents must not take good health for granted.

"We tell people in the top ten, just because you're in top ten don't assume you have a leg up on the others," Wolter said. "A healthy lifestyle can trump unhealthy environments."



Copyright Brigham Young University 17 Jan 2002