Unfit Honor

Men's Health really stunned Baltimoreans when Charm City was named the fittest city in America.

I cannot possibly think of an honor more miscast than this one. I love Baltimore, but the area is not exactly known for its healthy cuisine. Crab cakes and Natty Boh do not constitute a healthy diet, at least in the eyes of a nutritionist.

Here is the money quote from the AP story:

Among them: the amount of public park space, access to health care, air quality, the relatively small number of fast-food restaurants, and the leadership of Mayor Martin O'Malley. Boulton says Baltimore has become safer, more prosperous and more conducive to fitness.

"Baltimore is a paragon of urban renewal. That's why it's the fittest city, that's why it's the comeback city," Boulton said.

Even health magazines are conspiring to join the O'Malley bandwagon. Safer? Have they checked out the crime statistics?

And if you want to talk about the most fit urban area in Maryland, I think a certain Washington-area County Executive would nominate his county for the post. And you could probably argue that some of our moral rural counties are even more fit than that.

As much as I love the city, I see absolutely no rationale for this award, particularly if O'Malley's "leadership" was one of the deciding factors.