L.A. Ranks 19th in Fit City Index

Of the nation's 50 biggest cities, the Los Angeles metro area ranked No. 19 in terms of residents' fitness in an annual survey released Wednesday by the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation and the American College of Sports Medicine.

Based on a 100 point scorecard, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana area scored 53.4 on the American Fitness Index, while top-ranked Washington, D.C. scored 77.3.

Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked No. 2 and Portland, Denver and San Francisco rounded out the top five.

Los Angeles ranked just ahead of No. 20 Philadelphia and behind No. 18 Cincinnati. Memphis was at the bottom of the list.

"Health advocates and community leaders have come to expect the arrival of the American Fitness Index as an annual check-up regarding their community's health and fitness levels," said Walter Thompson, chair of AFI Advisory Board. "The AFI data report is a snapshot of the state of health in the community and an evaluation of the  infrastructure, community assets and policies that encourage healthy and fit lifestyles. These measures directly affect quality of life in our country's urban areas."

The rankings were based on data from public institutions, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and existing research.