In Super Size Me, a documentary about obesity in America, director/star Morgan Spurlock takes on everything from the effects of subsisting for 30 days on nothing but McDonald's food to the weight of the Lone Star State, home of five of the country's 10 fattest cities. Fort Worth's at No. 6 and Arlington at No. 8. "Everything," Spurlock says smugly to the camera, "is bigger in Texas."

The rankings came from a study by Men's Fitness magazine, published in February. The magazine based its findings on a number of criteria, such as the number of gyms, donut shops, and physicians in any given area, as well as an area's climate, proximity to mountains or large bodies of water, air quality, and the average weight of its citizens.

Local health officials are mixed on the study's trustworthiness. "[The magazine] used credible sources, like the Centers for Disease Control," said Darren Asher, who manages the chronic disease and intervention division of the Tarrant County Public Health department. "They were pretty comprehensive."

But Dr. Witold Migala, chief epidemiologist for the Fort Worth city health department, said portions of the results were inaccurate. There are more doctors in the area than the magazine reports, he said, and the idea of giving extra credit to cities near oceans or mountains is "nearly laughable." (Just because a city is near mountains doesn't mean any large percentage of its citizens are mountain climbers.) And, according to a community needs assessment survey conducted by Fort Worth in 2003, overweight citizens make up 27.3 percent of the population, a 6.5 percent drop from 1998. "It's gotten better," said Migala, but despite that, "we have been ranked worse by Men's Fitness."

Still, the assessment said that the most common health problem in Fort Worth households is obesity, soon to be the leading cause of death in America, according to Migala.

Local public health offices are trying to raise awareness through numerous fitness programs, most directed at the members of community centers and churches -- especially children. Health officials are hamstrung when it comes to reaching kids at school, where Cici's Pizza and Chick-fil-A are available at some schools.

Fort Worth's car-friendly geography and barbecue mentality are also hindrances. Health officials agree that it's going to take a lot of, a-hem, heavy lifting to get people to walk or ride bikes instead of driving everywhere. Still, that will be easier than getting Texans to cut back on the barbecue.

Things are changing a little for the better, sure: Fast food may be out of public schools within a year, Asher said, while urban development downtown may result in more pedestrian-friendly environments, and fast food franchises like McDonald's may begin reaping some financial rewards for offering more heart-friendly fare. But we're still going to be big, according to Asher, until we start eating healthy with greater regularity and exercising more.

"Hopefully next year, we'll see some kind of a difference," said Barbara Murph, registered nurse and acting manager of the outreach division of the city health department. "But in general, this is a problem that's [built] up, and it takes time to bring it back to acceptable ranges."