Raleigh and Burlington are the healthiest cities in the US

Raleigh in North Carolina has been rated the healthiest U.S. city for women, while Burlington, Vermont has earned the same accolade for men, according Men's and Women's Health magazines.

Both cities scored top marks in the magazine polls that ranked 100 of the largest U.S.

“We ranked with criteria from things like percentage of adults who eat the recommended serving of fruits and vegetables to obesity and breast cancer rates,” said Sascha de Gersdorff, of Women's Health magazine.

Raleigh scored high marks for prevention and the number of women keeping up with health checks, while San Jose in California ranked second because of the emphasis on exercise and fitness.

"Ninety percent have perfect Pap smear timing. Life expectancy is high, women are so pro-active in taking preventative measures,” de Gersdorff said about Raleigh.

The unhealthiest 10 were the same for both sexes and included Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Detroit, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Jackson, Mississippi; Cleveland, Ohio; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Toledo, Ohio; and Kansas City, Missouri.

“Southern states fare worse,” said de Gersdorff. “That's not surprising. Obesity rates there are among the highest. The percentage of people who eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables is quite low.

"Researchers sifted through data from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Cancer Society to compile the list.

The complete lists of the healthiest and unhealthiest cities for men and women can be seen at www.menshealth.com and www.womenshealthmag.com.