By Armando Duke

(AXcess News) Houston - Of the 10 slimmest populations of any city in America, a constant was healthy eating habits and regular exercise underscored the lower weights on average, according to a Gallup Poll released Friday.

The ten least obese cities present an average obesity of their populations of only 18.7%.  That's 15.1% lower than Americans 10 most obese metropolitan areas.

Four Colorado cities made the top 10 slim list, according to Gallup.  But California also recorded four of the least obese metropolitan populations.

Those cities obesity rates were: Ft. Collins; 16%, Boulder; 16.6%, Colorado Springs; 17.2% and Denver at 19.3%.  In California, San Louis Obispo reported 17.6%, Santa Cruz, 17.9%, San Jose, 19% and 19.2%.

Healthy behaviors are common among residents of the 10 least obese metro areas. Nine of the 10 areas rank in the top third of the Gallup-Healthways Healthy Behavior Index, which measures exercise, eating, and smoking habits. Majorities of residents in each of the 10 least obese places report that they ate healthy "yesterday," eat fruits and vegetables frequently, and exercise regularly. Half or more of residents in all of the least obese areas report exercising for at least 30 minutes three or more days per week. This stands in contrast to the nation's 10 most obese metro areas, where in all but one less than half report exercising at the same frequency. Smoking rates are also lower than the national average across all but one of the least obese areas, the Gallup Poll notes.

Eating right and exercising appears to be paying off in America's least obese communities not only in terms of lower obesity levels, but also in preventing costly chronic conditions.

All of the least obese metro areas in the U.S. have diabetes levels lower than the national average. Heart attacks are also less frequently reported in each of the least obese areas.

It looks like Mork and Mindy had it right when the fictional TV characters lived a carefree, healthy lifestyle in Boulder Colorado, according to Gallup which lauded the city as the No. 1 healthiest place to live.

"Among the 10 least obese metro areas surveyed, Boulder is a standout, performing the best across the board on Gallup and Healthway's indexes measuring healthy behaviors, community conditions, and physical health. Residents there are among the most likely in the country to get frequent exercise, and at 5.0%, are among the least likely of citizens in any of the 187 metro areas surveyed to have diabetes. To compare, the metro area with the highest level of reported diabetes is McAllen/Edinburg/Mission, Texas, at 18.9%. It is also worth noting that Boulder tops all U.S. metro areas in overall well-being," noted Gallup.

Gallup concluded, "Boulder and the nine other areas that accompany it as the nation's 10 least obese places can serve as examples from which other communities can learn. Still, even the 16.0% obesity rate in the least obese place in the country as recorded by Gallup today is slightly higher than the obesity levels reported by the government in the United States in the 1980s, suggesting that the country has a long way to go to reverse the enormous increase in obesity rates of the past 30 years."