Obesity rate slowing among US youth: official
AFP
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2009 (AFP) - The rate of obesity among American youths appears to be slowing, after climbing steadily for years, a leading US health official told members of Congress Thursday.
"Recent trends reveal that among all youth, the rate of obesity appears to have leveled," said William Dietz, director of a division within the US Department of Health and Human Services that charts the risks of overweight, as well as the positive effects of physical activity.
Nevertheless, Dietz warned "we cannot become complacent about this plateau," citing a long list of maladies associated with obesity, including adult-onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Between 1976 and 1980 about five percent of American youth were classified as obese, Dietz told lawmakers. But by 2006 the percentage had more than tripled, to 16.3 percent.
While the news was encouraging about the slowing rate of youth obesity, Dietz testified that childhood obesity remains "an epidemic in the United States -- one that is negatively impacting the physical and emotional health of our children, their families, and society as a whole."
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