Detroit Named Most Artery Clogging City In America

Prevention magazine has named the top eight artery-clogging cities in the U.S., and Detroit has topped the list.

Detroit outranked other major cities such as New Orleans, known for its deep-fried foods, and Dallas, known for its barbecue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Detroit has more cases of heart disease than any other major city in the nation, the magazine reported. And, 33 percent of Detroiters are obese, according to research.

The magazine said it studied heart disease and obesity rates from the CDC to name the cities with populations of 200,000 or more.

Other cities that made the list were Fort Wayne, Ind.; Lubbock, Texas; Baton Rough, La..; Tulsa, Okla.; Louisville, Ky.

In Jackson, roughly 80 miles west of Detroit, the Community Action Agency currently is participating in a four-year obesity study. The study, conducted by University of Michigan and Michigan State University researchers, focuses on childhood obesity and ways to prevent it — insight that will hopefully lower obesity rates in Detroit and surrounding cities, including Jackson.

About one in five 4-year-olds in the U.S. is obese, and low-income children are up to two times more likely to be overweight than middle- or upper-income children, according to the University of Michigan.