New York Times: Obesity Rates in Kids Drops in Some Cities

Believe it or not, a little good news just came out in regard to our kids' waistlines. Who knows what the causes are, but I'm sure the junk food companies will figure out a way to use this in their marketing. 

Here are the first four paragraphs from "Obesity in Young Is Seen as Falling in Several Cities," a front-page article in today's New York Times:

"After decades of rising childhood obesity rates, several American cities are reporting their first declines.

"The trend has emerged in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as smaller places like Anchorage, Alaska, and Kearney, Neb. The state of Mississippi has also registered a drop, but only among white students. 

“'It’s been nothing but bad news for 30 years, so the fact that we have any good news is a big story,' said Dr. Thomas Farley, the health commissioner in New York City, which reported a 5.5 percent decline in the number of obese schoolchildren from 2007 to 2011.
 
"The drops are small, just 5 percent here in Philadelphia and 3 percent in Los Angeles. But experts say they are significant because they offer the first indication that the obesity epidemic, one of the nation’s most intractable health problems, may actually be reversing course." 

 Click here to read the entire article.