The District and its surrounding suburbs for the third year in a row can boast the healthiest residents of any large metro area in the United States, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. The group, which on Monday released its latest American Fitness Index, ranked the region at Number 1 due to its high fruit and vegetable intake, low smoking rate and lower-than-average rates of several chronic diseases. The American College of Sports Medicine also cited characteristics of the D.C. metro region that suggest increased physical activity: high transit ridership and ample parkland. Boston was the runner up, followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul and Seattle.
