The fittest mayors in America

R.T. RYBAK MINNEAPOLIS

Rybak's strategy for consistently maintaining Minneapolis' fit status: Lead by example. Not only does he regularly ski, run, and bike, but he has also competed twice in the Life Time Fitness Triathlon. Last year, he championed a citywide smoking ban in bars and restaurants and built the city's first legal urban mountain-bike trail in Theodore Wirth Park. This year, he plans to increase funding for more bike trails and perhaps open a whitewater park along the Mississippi River.

JOHN F. STREET PHILADELPHIA

MF names you America's second-fattest city--now what? If you're John F. Street, you prove us wrong. Thanks in part to his Health Journey program, which grants discounted access to more than 100 citywide activities: health clubs, and gyms, Philly improved 21 spots. The Mayor's Family Fitness Challenge mentored 100 overweight families toward a healthier lifestyle last year. He even capitalized on a three-week mass-transit strike by adding walking routes and bike racks. And, despite it all, he still finds time to exercise for two hours each day.

BILL WHITE HOUSTON

A day after MF dubbed Houston the fattest city, Mayor Bill White initiated Get Moving Houston, a citywide program aimed at getting Houston off the list of Fattest Cities in MF by 2006. Well, Houston: You're moving. An avid bicyclist and runner, White helped Houston improve tour spots by establishing a Wellness Council, promoting a Mayor's Physical Fitness Challenge, and promoting the Tour de Houston, a bike race that raised funds benefiting Houston parks.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Weider Publications
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