Neither fat nor fit, Sioux Falls still could shape up a bit

Thom Gabrukiewicz • • May 11, 2010

In the battle of the bulge, Sioux Falls residents are medium-chubby.

Or so says Men's Health, which recently released its fattest and leanest cities survey. While Texas led the way in the list of fattest cities with five in the top 10 - everything, apparently, is bigger in Texas - Sioux Falls was the 59th chubbiest, with a C+ grade.

Not horrid, magazine editors said, but would it kill people in Sioux Falls to eat a salad now and again? "Oh, I see that, absolutely," said Ned Sacipovic, manager and trainer at the Tryon Gym on Minnesota Avenue. "I see it in Sioux Falls, because I see the lifestyle here, eating junk food and not learning what it's like to take care of your body."

Statistically, the number of South Dakotans who are obese is 2 percentage points higher than the national average. A laundry list of reasons exist for not exercising or eating properly: Long, cold winters, work and family stress and not enough time.

Julie Ganter doesn't quite buy it. The Sioux Falls native, wife and mother of two dropped 70 pounds recently. "I fell into the trap, I had kids and said, 'Well, it's just the baby fat,' well, my kid is 10," she said. Ganter said she walks three to four times a week and lifts weights two to three times a week - and schedules it in, just like soccer games and parent-teacher conferences. She's made positive changes in her diet as well and has abandoned soda, which had become a daily habit. "An open bag or an open box is my enemy, there's no way to gauge portion control," she said. With exercise, "I can eat pretty much what I want, but it's about portion control."

It's all about education, Sacipovic said. "People, they'll spend money on cigarettes and alcohol and think nothing of it, but that $30 to $35 a month gym membership, that's expensive," he said. "People aren't picking the right choices. They're not seeing a value in taking care of themselves and not being healthy."

But does it take more money to be more fit?

"That's a lame excuse," said Cal Hanson, director of the Sanford Wellness Center and of Family Wellness, a collaboration between Sanford Health and the YMCA. "Fresh air doesn't cost a dime. If you pay your taxes, you own the sidewalks. Nothing is stopping you from using Mother Earth."

Corpus Christi, Texas, has the most rotund people per capita, while San Francisco led the way as the leanest city.

Other Midwest city rankings included Fargo in 33rd place, Des Moines in 39th, Omaha in 60th, Lincoln in 67th, St. Paul in 87th and Minneapolis in 88th. The magazine ranked 100 U.S. cities for its fat list.

"Do I agree? Well, I think we reflect the nation, and the point is, our country is getting heavier," Hanson said. "I have to say, I am proud of this city. This city offers so much opportunity, the trail, the parks - and I think that's just going to get better 15, 20 years down the road."

Men's Health arrived at the ranking by calculating the percentage of people who are overweight, the percentage of type 2 diabetes, the percentage of people who haven't left the couch in a month, money spent on junk food and the number of people who ate fast food nine or more times in a month. The magazine used the Centers for Disease Control Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, U.S. Bureau of Labor and Mediamark Research statistics.

And all hope is not lost, Sioux Falls.

First, we're not in Texas (and we kid the Texans).

But seriously, the city has a wealth of free outdoor activities, plenty of gyms and even the farmer's markets have opened.

"Pull the chair away from the table at night and take a walk with a loved one, a friend, a pet," Hanson said. "It's called accountability, people. But don't feel guilty if you miss a day, you can make it up. It's all about living in the moment."

And there are so many new moments to make a change right now.

C+ is average, at best. Sioux Falls can be better, its residents said.

"You have to change your lifestyle," Ganter said. "And you have to do it permanently. Exercise is habit-forming, like bad habits, only it's a good habit. I'm doing this for myself, you have to, but I'm also doing it for my kids down the road, so they won't have to take care of me."

Unenviable numbers for S.D.
South Dakota is on the wrong side of several national averages when it comes to health:


Obesity: The rate for adults in the state is 28.1 percent, compared with the national rate of 26.7 percent.
Overweight: The state rate is 65 percent, compared to 63.4 percent for the U.S.
Moderate physical activity requirements: State rate is 47.8 percent, U.S. rate is 49.5 percent.
Five fruits and vegetables a day: State rate is 18.6 percent, U.S. rate is 24.4 percent.

Sources: S.D. Health Department, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Weight data from 2008, nutrition and exercise from 2007.

FATTEST, LEANEST CITIES

The five fattest and leanest cities in America, according to Men's Health magazine:
Fattest cities
1. Corpus Christi, Texas
2. Charleston, W.Va.
3. El Paso, Texas
4. Dallas
5. Memphis, Tenn.
Leanest Cities
100. San Francisco
99. Burlington, Vt.
98. Washington, D.C.
97. Seattle
96. Austin, Texas