Obesity Continues to Rise in Most States

Slim Hopes?

Not all obesity-related news in the past year has been quite so bleak. In November 2007, a CDC study found that there was virtually no change in obesity rates among men and women between the periods of 2003-04 and 2005-06. A similar stall was seen in childhood obesity rates during this time period.

But most public health experts maintain that the rates still remain far too high for comfort. Particularly worrying is the fact that the obesity rate in children, while shown to be relatively stable in some past research, indicates that about 1 in 5 American children are obese.

Marks says the only way to reverse this trend is a greater investment from all sectors in society in anti-obesity efforts.

"The resources that have been devoted to improve the health of families and children and the steps taken remain few and ineffective," he said.