Some good news on childhood obesity

While obesity rates for most Americans haven't changed significantly over the past decades, researchers have found among kids ages 2 to 5 the obesity rate dropped from 14% in 2003-2004 to just over 8% in 2011-2012, according to a report out Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That represents a drop of 43%, CDC said.

Older children made no progress, with nearly 18% of kids ages 6 to 11 being obese, as well as 20.5% of kids ages 12 to 19. In women over age 60, obesity rates climbed from 31% to 35.4% in the same period, the study shows.

CDC research has found two dietary changes that could help explain any progress: Americans are consuming fewer sugary drinks and more women are breastfeeding.

Steve: along with the White House announcement today for new school wellness standards, these young children will have a much easier time keeping the weight off once they get into full-time schooling. This is great news that we have finally made progress for a generation. The question is, how much of a financial toll will the ill health of the four generations ahead of them take?