While researchers once pointed to an “urban health penalty” due to crime, pollution, and other perils of city life, they’re now saying that living in an urban area is an advantage to your health, and New Yorkers are topping the list of healthy Americans.

The primary reason why New York City is now being called a “capitol of longevity” -- while the average American has added just 2.5 years to his life since 1990, New Yorkers have added 6.2 -- has everything to do with the layout of the city itself.

Because driving in the Big Apple is such a headache, and public transportation is everywhere, many New Yorkers walk daily.

Walking, and walking fast, appears to be tipping the scales toward New Yorkers’ health.

New York City was named “best walking city” in 2006 by the American Podiatric Medical Association and Prevention magazine. Plus, New York City has the fastest pedestrians in the country, according to a recent study, which turns the whole city into a “massive exercise machine dedicated to improving our health while we run errands,” according to the author of this New York Magazine piece.

Researchers are also pointing to other turning trends pushing New Yorkers toward health, such as:

• Decreases in infant mortality, homicide, and HIV mortality
• Easier access to community, friends, and “ethnic peers”
• Healthier food options
• A rich cultural environment, for mental stimulation
• Close proximity to parks for recreation

The city has also recently implemented other healthy trends, including a ban on smoking and trans fats.

However, according to a study by Matthew Turner, an economist at the University of Toronto, the city itself is not responsible for making people healthier.

His study found that people who moved from cities to suburbs did not get fatter, nor vice versa. Instead, Turner says the healthy trend in New York City is simply the result of a self-selecting population. Highly active people may naturally gravitate toward the New York lifestyle, while those looking for a slower pace (where they can drive everywhere) may gravitate toward the suburbs.

NYMag.com August 20, 2007