Indicators: Dec. 27, 1999

Headline: INDICATORS

HEALTH Where Americans are fattest and fittest, measured by obesity rates, exercise and number of fast-food joints

--Fattest cities

Omaha* 10 El Paso* 10 Memphis 9 Columbus 8 Detroit 7 Chicago 6 New Orleans 5 Indianapolis 4 Houston 3 Kansas City, MO 2 Philadelphia 1

--Fittest cities

Los Angeles 10 Colorado Springs 9 Honolulu 8 Denver 7 Portland 6 San Francisco 5 Washington 4 Seattle 3 Minneapolis 2 San Diego 1

*Tie Source: Men's Fitness

TV NEWS Despite big stories like Columbine and the death of J.F.K. Jr., the war in Kosovo drew the most coverage

--Top news stories* in minutes of TV coverage

Kosovo conflict 1,644 Clinton sex scandal 460 Columbine high school shootings 298 N.Y.S.E. and NASDAQ market action 266 Hurricane Floyd 227 EgyptAir 990 crash 177 Death of John E Kennedy Jr. 166 Tornado season 131 Heaith-care reform 123 Guns 120

*On evening network newscasts, Jan. 1 through Nov. 30 1999 Source: The Tyndall Repon

CHRISTMAS SPECIALS Even before It's a Wonderful Life (now an NBC exclusive) became a holiday staple, CBS's animated classics were getting us into the spirit

--Longest running Years on TV

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 36 A Charlie Brown Christmas 35 Frosty the Snowman 31 A Garfield Christmas 11

Sources: CBS; NBC

CHARITY 87% of Americans say it's up to community volunteers to help when government programs don't do enough

--Percent of adults who do volunteer work

U.S. 50% INDIA 32% BRAZIL 26% FRANCE 19% GERMANY 17% HONG KONG 12% JAPAN 11%

From interviews with 3,082 adults taken by Market Probe International of N.Y. and Opinion Research Corp. of Princeton, N.J. Source: Lions Club International

VIDEOS Tom Hanks has two Christmas movie hits, as well as two of the year's top video rentals

--Top 10 video rentals* Times rented (millions)

There's Something About Mary 26.4 Rush Hour 22.4 Saving Private Ryan 21.7 The Waterboy 21.7 You've Got Mail 19.4 The Truman Show 19.3 Enemy of The State 19.2 Stepmom 18.2 Snake Eyes 16.3 The Matrix 15.8

*Jan. 4 through Dec. 5, 1999 Source: Video Software Dealers Association

CHRISTMAS TREES Most people with no tree say they are not at home for the holiday or too busy to put one up

--Percent who have An artificial tree: 40.6% A real tree: 35.4% No tree: 23%

1998 average price, real tree: $27.87

Source: National Christmas Tree Association