The 24/7 Wall St., a partner with USA Today, ranked cities across the country as being the healthiest within their state. Most cities were given this honor in comparison to the country as a whole. Not only was Ames ranked the healthiest city in Iowa, but the healthiest city across the nation. This was based on a variety of factors including obesity, smoking and health insurance. Other indicators involve the length and quality of life. 

With obesity and smoking being two of the leading causes of death across the nation, it’s important to start recognizing ways to improve these aspects within cities. Ames associated 11 percent of their residents as smokers, coming in below the national average of 20 percent and the state average of 17.5 percent.

The long debate over the Affordable Care Act has raised concerns about America’s health in general and it’s hoped that cities like Ames can give insight to other cities that are aiming to create a healthier environment and population. 

Education was another factor taken into consideration in the rankings. Cities with a larger population of educated residents resulted in better decision-making and ultimately, better health decisions. As Iowa State’s enrollment continually rises, it’s no surprise that Ames has been labeled as the healthiest city. 

With only 6.4 percent of the city being in poor health, Ames has a population with extremely high physical and mental well-being. In comparison, Iowans have an 11.2 percentage of poor health. Although Iowa’s poor health percentage isn’t impressive, it’s better than many states. 

The city of Ames and Healthiest Ames are committed to helping promote healthy lifestyles in the Ames community.

“It is surprising to hear that Ames is the healthiest city in the U.S,” said Hayley Johnson, an Ames native. “I have never considered Ames an extremely healthy place but when I consider how active everyone in the town is, I guess it is not that big of a shock. I am very proud to be an Ames and Iowa Native.”

Neighboring state, Minnesota, awarded Rochester as the healthiest city. Their statistics ranked similar to Ames, with a 6.7 percent population considered to be in poor health. However, Ames had lower percentages in unemployment and residents without health insurance. 

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has set a goal of making Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by the year 2016. Achieving this vision will require commitments by communities all over Iowa and Healthiest Ames is ready to make this happen. Healthiest Ames currently focuses on educating Ames residents about physical activity, chronic disease management and community connectedness. Events like Healthy Streets, that took place last week, are among the numerous efforts Healthy Ames uses to engage and educate the population.