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Naval graduates include Sen. McCain’s son, JackMd. has 2nd apparent family murder-suicide in weekMd. mom: Resurrection voids guilty plea in son's starvation deathMd. teen who killed family gets 4 life sentences Baltimore police commissioner makes collar himself Blind activists plan protest of movie 'Blindness'Md. police: Mom says foster daughters' remains in freezer Police: 'Cult' starved boy who wouldn't say 'amen' Judge: Adult trial for Maryland teen in family slayings Art museum celebrates tattoos

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BALTIMORE — When an annual survey named Baltimore the fittest city in America, many Charm City residents had the same response: You gotta be kidding.

Sure, people here are known for eating lots of seafood, but are crab cakes and deep-fried lake trout the staples of a healthy diet?

"I think it's probably the most mis-fit city in America," said Charisse Bailey as she dug into a typical Baltimore lunch: fried red snapper on thick white bread, with a side of french fries and a beer.

The city's skyline is dotted with neon signs advertising Domino sugar, Utz potato chips and National Bohemian beer. And while many neighborhoods, such as Fells Point and Federal Hill, have been transformed by an influx of young professionals, a Friday-night visit to either reveals a culture that revolves around drinking and greasy food.

Nevertheless, Men's Fitness magazine placed Baltimore at the top of its annual list of cities where fitness is king, ahead of Honolulu (No. 2 for the second consecutive year), San Francisco (No. 7) and last year's winner, Seattle (No. 8).

The fattest city in America for 2006 is Chicago, taking over the dubious honor from Houston. Last year, Baltimore was closer to Houston than it was to Honolulu, checking in as the 25th-fattest city in the Men's Fitness tally.

How could such a turnaround be possible in the span of a year? Men's Fitness editor Neal Boulton is quick to point out that the survey is far from scientific, and he says it took additional factors into account this year. Among them: the amount of public park space, access to health care, air quality, the relatively small number of fast-food restaurants.