Aug. 8—Childhood obesity rates among low-income children aged 2 to 4 dropped in 19 states and U.S. territories between 2008 and 2011, according to a study released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There is concern that the study's finding don't accurately portray the right picture. Data from 10 states—Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Wyoming, Utah and Maine, some of which have the highest obesity rates in the country—were not included in the study. These states either didn't have consistent data or changed the methodology in collecting data, forcing the CDC to exclude the states from the study.
To read more about the study's results, click here.
Even more recently, Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, spoke to USA Today to explain the agency's beliefs behind the childhood obesity drop. One of the factors was better nutrition, including healthier school meals. You can read more here.