Childhood Obesity Rates Drop 43% in Past Decade

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Obesity rates among children ages 2-5 dropped from 14% in 2003-04 to 8% in 2011-12, a decline of 43%, according to new federal data.

The data, from the CDC and published in the February 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, doesn’t cite precise reasons for the decline.

But it offers potential reasons:

• Child care centers improving nutrition and fitness standards.
• Children are consuming fewer sugary drinks.
• And more women are breastfeeding, which can help stave off obesity in children.

First Lady Michelle Obama—who on Feb. 25 announced new proposed rules to limit marketing of unhealthy foods in schools by phasing out advertising of sugary drinks and junk food and ensuring that other promotions in schools were in line with health standards—cited the efforts of Let’s Move in making healthier habits the norm and reducing obesity.

Also, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) continues to fund efforts dedicated to reducing obesity and creating a culture of health.

“After decades of seemingly endless bad news about obesity, our collective efforts over the last several years show that we as a nation are finally moving in the right direction,” said Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, RWJF president and CEO.

But the new federal data wasn’t all good.

According to the CDC report, older children made no progress, with nearly 18% of kids ages 6 to 11 remaining obese, as well as 20.5% of kids ages 12 to 19, according to a USA Today report. Adult obesity rates were also the same or higher in some age groups.

And Latino children continue to have a higher rates of obesity/overweight (39.1%) than all kids (31.8%), according to recent data.

“We’re excited to see signs of progress, but we have to continue our efforts to encourage health among Latino families, who are more at risk of obesity,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the RWJF-funded Salud America! program, which is based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. “We believe our new Salud America! Growing Healthy Change website is a step in that direction.”