Study Offers Hope For U.S. Kids' Obesity

Percentage Of Overweight Children Appears To Have Peaked After 25-Year Increase

(CBS/AP)  The percentage of American children who are overweight or obese appears to have leveled off after a 25-year increase, according to new figures that offer a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dismal battle.

"That is a first encouraging finding in what has been unremittingly bad news," said Dr. David Ludwig, director of an obesity clinic at Children's Hospital Boston. "But it's too soon to know if this really means we're beginning to make meaningful inroads into this epidemic. It may simply be a statistical fluke."

Overall, roughly 32 percent of children were overweight but not obese, 16 percent were obese and 11 percent were extremely obese, in a study based on in-person measurements of height and weight in 2005 and 2006.

Those levels were roughly the same as in 2003-04 after a steady rise since 1980, according to the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, which conducted the study.

"Maybe there is some reason for a little bit of optimism," said CDC researcher Cynthia Ogden, the study's lead author.

Some experts said that if the leveling-off is real, it could be because more schools and parents are emphasizing better eating habits and more exercise. Even so, they and Ogden stressed that it would be premature to celebrate.

"Without a substantial decline in prevalence, the full impact of the childhood epidemic will continue to mount in coming years," Ludwig said. That is because it can take many years for obesity-related complications to translate into life-threatening events, including heart attacks and kidney failure.

He co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. He had no role in the research.

The results are based on 8,165 children ages 2 to 19 who participated in nationally representative government health surveys in 2003-04 and 2005-06.

The surveys are considered the most accurate reflection of obesity levels because they are based on in-person measurements rather than relying on people's own reports.

CDC data reported last year showed obesity rates for men also held steady from 2003-04 to 2005-06 at about 33 percent after two decades of increases. The rate for women, 35 percent, remained at a plateau reached in 2003-04.

The CDC's analysis of data for 2007-08, due next year, may be the best evidence for determining what direction children's rates are really heading, Ludwig said.

Dr. Reginald Washington, a children's heart specialist in Denver and member of an American Academy of Pediatrics obesity committee, said "the country should be congratulated" if the rates have in fact peaked.

One way to get kids to take off the pounds is by getting them on their feet. Kay Morris launched "Marathon Kids" in Austin and students in half a dozen cities are now up and running, reports CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes.

"We're not trying to build marathon runners," Morris said. "We're just trying to move children from sedentary to non-sedentary."

In Los Angeles, Allesandro Elementary joined the running program, reports Hughes. The kids are healthier and there's a bonus: Academic performance is up significantly - 23 points on standardized tests.

"There are a lot of people trying to do good things to try to stem the tide," Dr. Washington said. Some schools are providing better meals and increasing physical education, and Americans in general "are more aware of the importance of fruits and vegetables," he said.

On the other hand, he noted that he recently treated an obese young patient "who in three days did not have a single piece of fresh fruit.

"We still have a long ways to go," he said.

[gaye5]

OH MY GOSH, they are not saying that they have produced an immunization against obesity, wow...

[honestabe8]

fishinfool: i agree with what you say. i want to add that in yesteryears, sports were more for playing than they were for watching. at some point, sporting goods stores went from (primarily) being stuff you use to play games to (primarily) being merchandise with team logos. i had a friend years ago who seemed convinced that watching sports made him athletic. this mindset seems to have taken hold.

[fishinfool43]

I think the average households (single parents or both parents) have to work full time just to make ends meet, are just too tired to cook decent meals for the kids. With all the cutbacks in school lunch programs, doesn''t help. While they are not in school, they are more than likely living off the dollar menu at Mc Donalds. I think we can all agree that grease soaked fast foods are not the answer, but it beats starving. Kids aren''t as active as I was in my younger years, but I never had Playstation, computers, too much TV. Heaven forbid they would get jobs like I had, such as mowing lawns, shoveling snow, baling hay and straw. At 45, I can still outwork 95% of the kids 1/3 my age, providing they are willing to work. There are lots of ways other than work to get excercise, but first you must get the big macs out of their hands, pry their butts off the couch, and get them on the right track. There are so many fun things to do, like riding bikes, swimming, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and so on. It is hard to watch these young people ruining their health, and corporations profiting from their misfortune. Alot of times the parents are part of the problem also. As long as we have this obesity problem, health care will keep going up. Younger people will have more heart attacks and we won''t even bring up type 2 diabetes. If there are any overweight kids reading this, eat smart and get active. Life is too short!! Don''t make it shorter.

[honestabe8]

gospsoccermom: your lord is a punk. you are a punk. perhaps you would be happy doing the lewinski to jeebus for eternity.

[dobbershome]

Quit eating junk food and get more exercise.Get off the couch and find a active hobby. I''ve never seen so many overweight kid''s in our school''s. sad

[republic1776]

My wasted Taxes at work!
It is NOT Governments role.
Think our founding fathers care about fat people?
Was it Governments role to judge who''s fat?
This is retarded...

[bikerb54]

gopsoccermom figures anything that she disapproves of is sin. Fat is caused by consuming more calories than you burn off. What ever happened to kids playing outside in the fresh air? Remember tag, hide-n-seek, playgrounds, stickball, kick the can, swimming, riding bikes, skateboards? You know, anything that meant getting out of the house and being a kid. We are allowing our children to sit at those game consoles, computers and tv just so we don''t have to bother going outside ourselves to make sure they''re safe.

As for potheads, they are too stoned to do any harm. Besides, pot, in it''s natural state, without additives, is not harmful. It has been proven it helps in many medical situations, such as alleivates the side effects of chemo, helps asthma patients breath easier by relaxing the bronchial tubes. By the way, the Lord put it on the earth. It does have it''s uses. Can we say the same for you????

[dsr57]

Fat People smell like Worstorshire Sauce

[jackie0428]

Look at that fat a*ss. Makes me want to vomit.

[andrew0120]

Parents who allow their kids to become fat and obese should be charged with a form of child abuse. Not only are there the physical health risks but also the emotional ramifications. Children need proper education and need to establish healthy habits early on. They will carry these good habits with them throughout their life. Unfortunately, bad habits are carried with them through life as well.

[fibonacci_gr]

Fat is caused by sin. The more sin, the more fat. Also the Lord hates potheads.

Posted by gopsoccermom

LOOOL. Somehow I dont think you are joking.

[drivelphobe]

Maybe Oprah can have all the fat kids on her TV show and she can tell them all how beautiful they are.

Obese and overweight children are products of fat parents and nothing can change that. As they mature, they will marry sub-performing, genetically deficient mates, and the cycle will go on.

The more fat people there are, the easier it is for normal individuals in life. No employer wants to hire fat people. They are less competitive for everything desirable. The downside for society is that they run up the medical costs associated with their uncontrolled gluttony, not to mention that they are disgustingly hard on the eyes. Stop worrying and spending tax money on this issue. Let them get a s fat as they want.

[bdrlnt4rl]

keep raising the gas prices obesity just might fall cause we will have to get out and walk.

[dsr57]

Fat is caused by sin. The more sin, the more fat. Also the Lord hates potheads.

Posted by gopsoccermom

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HA HA HA HA HA That''s funny

[thcarson-2009]

Kids are fat because they sit in front of playstations and computers when they get home from school instead of playing outside. I remember when we were kids our parents had to drag us inside at dark.


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Posted by thcarson

[gopsoccermom]

Fat is caused by sin. The more sin, the more fat. Also the Lord hates potheads.

[tootall10142]

If you kids behave in church today? daddy and me wiiltake you out to eat later and slowly poison you with 300 different food additives ,sound good?

[fibonacci_gr]

Yea what is with people against pot? Just cause they dont smoke it doesnt mean you have to be so against it...it is by far less harmful than alcohol.

[honestabe8]

i see marcpcbs is on his pot tirade again. if pot growers are selling to 3rd and 4th graders they should be jailed. same as if beer pushers were doing it. should be legal for adults, just like alcohol.

[shanev137]

There''s one way to cure obesity....keep doubling food prices every month.