The Denver area boasts the best average health ranking among 25 comparable cities, according to a study by the Metro Denver Health and Wellness Commission, a group of 80 Denver-area leaders. The rankings were compiled from 2005 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several additional national sources.

"A healthier work force means lower health-care coasts," said James Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado at Denver and co-chairman of the commission.