Back in 1999 Men’s Fitness magazine analyzed the health of America’s most populated cities and the study found Philadelphia to be the fattest city in the nation. In response, Gwen Foster, the health and fitness director for the city, began to implement programs that have since moved Philadelphia way down that list.
Since 2001, Foster has taken health lectures, exercise programs and cooking classes to offices, homes and churches around the city. She has also organized a 40-day workshop that includes a health lecture, vegan cooking school and aerobic exercise program, among other activities. Over the last eight years her approach has had an amazing affect on the people of Philadelphia. When Men’s Fitness conducted the same study for 2009, Philadelphia had moved far away from the number one spot and almost off the list, down to number 23.
