The Secret to Thinness: Why Residents of a Colorado City Don't Get Fat and What Dark Weight-Loss Secrets Does This Place Keep

Boulder, Colorado, is known as the “skinniest” city in the country. Only 12% of people there are obese, which is almost four times lower than the national average. Seven out of ten city residents exercise. But the “skinniest” city has a dark side, writes Daily Mail.

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Some residents say they are intimidated by the number of locals in great shape, and eating disorders are common among Boulder residents.

At the University of Colorado Boulder campus, for example, the average rate of women with eating disorders is nearly three times higher than the average for other college towns in the country. And it's the fifth-highest rate in the U.S. among teens.

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Will Tennison, the wildly popular Toronto fitness guru, visited Boulder to talk to residents about the city's reputation as a mecca for health-conscious Americans.

One city woman told Tennison that she spent an hour or two on a stationary bike to make sure she was burning enough calories. This, she said, justified the meager breakfast of an apple and perhaps a handful of nuts that was often her only meal of the day.

Others said the focus on thinness and fitness, while intended to promote healthy lifestyles, could create unhealthy social pressure, especially on school-aged children and women.

One local who recently moved here from California, a state that values ​​health and fitness, told Tennison, "There's definitely a sense of pressure here to be more fit simply because that's what everyone else is."

Boulder has been called the "fittest" and "skinniest" city in America for years.

The Gallup Well-Being Index found that nearly 70% of city residents exercise for more than 30 minutes three or more times a week.

The city is wealthy, with relatively higher annual incomes compared to the national average and the rest of the state. The median income here is about $147 per household.

People with higher incomes tend to live healthier lifestyles overall. Higher income and quality of life means more people can afford fresh, whole foods, top-notch sports equipment, and mountain adventures.

Mountain biking is particularly popular, and the city has an average of four bikes for every person.

Boulder has more than 70 Olympians, drawn to the city by its strong sports culture. But there's a catch.

"While Boulder residents may appear healthy, happy and fit, not all is rosy here."

Thousands of people suffer in silence

One local teenager said: "Surely every girl has an eating disorder, diagnosed or not."

Another resident, a 63-year-old man in excellent physical condition, noted: "The women I know hardly eat. I know that for a fact."

Even two teenagers in the park said they had issues with body image and weight.

Tennyson observed: "The desire to keep fit begins as a good habit, but then you go too far and things turn out badly."

But many people don't realize that there's something wrong with their approach to eating and exercise. That means thousands of people suffer in silence, perhaps for decades, before they realize they can seek help.

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Eating disorder clinics that serve teens are "always overcrowded," according to Brooke Alexander, a health coach who specializes in eating disorders.

"I know a lot of people in Boulder and Colorado who are actively struggling with eating disorders, as well as those who are in recovery or have recovered. They spent decades trying to overcome their eating disorders on their own until they realized they could get help."

And this doesn't just apply to young people trying to fit in and stay slim.

“I have worked with clients who were over 70,” the healthy lifestyle instructor emphasized.

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