Fort Worth has a weight problem. Being the home of great restaurants like Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Bonnell’s, and Saint-Emilion probably doesn’t help. Furthermore, what do residents like to do after eating? Well, sit a bit more during a movie at either Starplex Cinemas, Movie Tavern, or Fossil Creek Stadium, of course. Fortunately, a variety of fitness gyms such as Texas Health Fitness Center, Metroplex, and Inursha try to offset the problem. But are they really helping? The local hospitals Fort Worth Family Medicine, Fort Worth Oncology, and Fort Worth Emergency Care Center are certainly not hurting for business.Yet the major diseases that bring people there are supposed to be preventable through healthy lifestyle. Speaking of business, most of it in Fort Worth is done from a cubicle inside multi-office complexes. Certainly, sitting all day in Sundance Square or Mercantile Plaza would contribute heavily to complications that arise from inactivity.

Between office hours, one can find plenty of great places to exercise in Fort Worth, even outside of the gyms. You can be very active at Riverside, Forest Park, and Trinity Park. They offer great settings for walks, jogs, and biking. Yet that doesn’t seem to be enough to positively effect the fitness of Fort Worth residents. What is going on? Maybe there are just no healthy food options. That can’t be the case, with places like Snappy Salads offering natural groceries and balanced meals.

Spiritual health seems to be a priority in Fort Worth. The Village Church and Christ Chapel Bible Church are thriving. Yet physical health continues to suffer. I’ll be one of the first to tel you that eternity matters most. Still, I believe God wants us to enjoy an abundant life here on this earth.

Research has shown a relationship between poverty and health problems, so maybe that’s at play. However, the median household income of Fort Worth residents is $50,750, well above the national average.