America's preschoolers aren't as pudgy as they used to be
Here's some good news for First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign: The obesity rate among America's youngest children has fallen an astounding 43 percent in a little under a decade, according to newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among 2-to-5-year-olds, 8.1 percent are obese, down from almost 14 percent in 2004. The finding comes on the heels of a separate study which found that children who are obese by age 5 have a much higher risk than their peers of being overweight for the rest of their lives.
"I am thrilled at the progress we've made over the last few years in obesity rates among our youngest Americans," Michelle Obama said in a statement, adding that "healthier habits are beginning to become the new norm."
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Nevertheless, the obesity rate among Americans as a whole has remained relatively flat over that same period, and roughly 17 percent of all children and adolescents are still obese, per the CDC.
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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