Oregon Health Update
Sara Mendez
Oregon is popular for many reasons such as coffee, beautiful scenery, fresh salmon and of course Tillamook cheese! However, lately Oregon has taken center stage for promoting healthy lifestyles. Portland was ranked #2 in 2006 by Self Magazine on their "Top 10 healthiest cities for women" article. In 2004 Portland was nick named "Bike Town U.S.A." by Bike Town Magazine and it was also ranked #3 for healthiest city for pets by showcatsonline.com in 2003. Across the board, Oregon is setting a national standard for healthy living and exercise.
In 1971 Oregon passes the "bike bill" which was the first of its kind anywhere in the country. By passing this law, Oregon took a giant step toward healthy living. In 2001 3.8% of people were biking to work at least three days per week to according to Oregon.gov. Other fitness activities have also increased over the years. The Nike Hood to Coast Relay Marathon is the largest relay race in North America. It began in 1982 with eight teams. By 1999 it reached capacity of 1,000 teams. If the weather is bad or if running or biking isn't really your thing, there are plenty of hiking trails, gyms, countless dog parks, ski lodges and hunting seasons where all activity levels and weather conditions are welcome.
In Salem alone there are five Weight Watcher sites, a Jenny Craig and a LA Weight loss center all centrally located, not to mention all the other private organizations such as Salem Weight Management Center. If you do not want to count points, buy special food or be on a liquid diet there are plenty of healthy options at grocery stores and Salem's exclusive health foods store, Life Source. As recently as ten years ago, many of Salem's grocery stores did not carry foods such as soy milk, tofu or whole wheat products without a high price tag. Now, places like Fred Meyer often have sales on these products and offer a wide range of health foods and Trans fat free products.
Not only in Oregon but nationwide restaurants are offering alternatives to high calorie menu items. Applebee's was one of the firsts to offer Weight Watcher menu items and Red Robin offers meat substitutes for all their burgers. Often dieters avoid eating out because typically there are few healthy choices besides a salad on menus. But now with these special menus, dieters can feel confident eating out instead of feeling chained to their ovens and health food recipe book.
Being healthy is not simply about eating right but also getting daily exercise. Oregon again has topped the list in this department. While the weather can be temperamental at times, this does not stop people from getting out and enjoying the scenery. Oregon has many parks with pathways, schools with tracks, and parks for dogs. If running or walking is not your thing, many people bike to work. Often in Oregon many companies have "biking groups" with contests for the person who rides their bike the most. Oregon was the first state to pass the "bike bill" in 1971, by 2001 3.8% of people were biking to work at least three days per week according to Oregon.gov. Since Lance Armstrong brought biking back into the spot light over the last few years, biking in Oregon is hitting an all time high.
All of these healthy options put Oregon in the top 10 in 2007 for the "fittest cities" article in Men's Magazine, where Portland ranked number 9 which was up from 17 the previous year. Oregon's healthy lifestyle trend is not likely to change anytime soon. With all the options available to you and the beckoning scenery, many people have a hard time silencing the quiet voice in their head telling them to eat better or get more exercise. If you can't beat them, join them!
Glancy Hypnosis for http://www.glancyhypnosis.com/weight.html Weight Loss in Oregon
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