New Study Finds San Jose Has Nation's Fittest Baby Boomers
SAN JOSE (CBS SF)— San Jose is the fittest city for baby boomers in the country, with the highest life expectancy and the fewest unrestful days per month among the nation's largest cities, according to study released Tuesday.
The study, by the American Physical Therapists Association of Alexandria, Va., and The Huffington Post blog, included interviews with boomers, people born between 1946 and 1964, in the 50 biggest cities in the country, association spokeswoman Jennifer Rondon said.
Boomers surveyed in San Jose ranked the highest in self-satisfaction, with 95.6 percent saying they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their lives, Rondon said.
San Jose posted the highest life expectancy among the cities at 82.5 years and lowest number of days of not getting enough rest per month, at 5.6 days, Rondon said.
The percentage of boomers in San Jose with health insurance was high, at 91.8 percent, and they scored lower than the average of the 50 cities in cases of hypertension and cardiac disease and high cholesterol, according to the survey.
Other cities in the top ten list, in declining order, were Minneapolis, San Francisco, Denver, Boston, Salt Lake City, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Diego and Raleigh, N.C.
The therapist association evaluated two main categories in the study, health and fitness and the lifestyles of the 49-plus adult demographic in the cities, Rondon said.
The group considered the life expectancy in each city, the percentage of residents who have health insurance, the availability of health care, mental and emotional well-being and what recreational and mass transit resources are available.
The association, a professional organization of physical therapists, teamed with the Huffington Post's blog, Huff/50, to conduct the survey with Bert Sperling, who compiles and writes about "best" cities lists for the Huffington Post, Rondon said.
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