Health in Oregon
July 20, 2008
A diet and a healthy lifestyle are two very different things. People in Hollywood diet but people in Oregon are healthy and more and more Oregonians are getting healthy. “In the last year alone Portland moved from number 17 to number 9 on the “Americas fittest cities” list in Men’s Magazine. Maintaining a fit or healthy lifestyle in Oregon is easy! For one, Oregonians love their outdoor activities, regardless of the weather conditions. Oregon is also never short on organic products and healthy foods both on the menu and in grocery stores. If you need support with your new life style, help is just are the corner, literally. Oregon was not always so health conscious though, but over the last decade Oregon has made many improvements!
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.
If a healthy lifestyle is something you desire but don’t think you can do on your own, help is on every corner, literally. In Salem alone there are five Weight Watcher sites, a Jenny Craig and a LA Weight loss center all within a five mile radius. This is not including all the private organizations such as Salem Weight Management Center. All of these companies have one thing in common, they all want to build a better, healthier, and happier you.
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!
Comments
Got something to say?