Childhood Obesity Reverses Course

The obesity epidemic in the United States may be beginning to reverse its course. Childhood obesity is actually on the decline, according to a report.

The trend of less obesity among children isn’t just emerging in New York City and Los Angeles, but also smaller places, according to an article from The New York Times. Although the decreases are small — just a few percentage points in each city — they represent the first indication that the obesity epidemic is being effectively fought.

Robert Wood Johnson first reported the dips in September, surprising many researchers. The war on obesity has gotten stronger over the last few years. Philadelphia schools swapped out sugary drinks and set snack guidelines by setting calorie and fat limits and reducing snack sizes. New York City is implementing its controversial ban on large sodas.

According to NYT, the current obesity declines among children have been concentrated among higher income, mostly white populations.

It’s not just in children that obesity is declining, though. Even among adults, obesity is slightly down, according to a January Gallup poll. In 2011 62% of American adults were overweight or obese, which was down slightly from 63% in 2010.

The obesity epidemic among adults has been particularly difficult as many physicians have been turning away overweight patients on the grounds that they were too risky. Furthermore, the health care system’s infrastructure still isn’t able to handle obese patients.

Read more:

Obesity in Young is Seen as Falling in Several Cities — New York Times