Childhood obesity rates are leveling off in some populations. Photo credit: Getty images.

First, the good news about childhood obesity rates: They seem to be leveling off and in some select populations, they're even decreasing slightly, according to recent reports by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now, for the bad news: The CDC also reports that the percentage of obese children 6 to 11 years old in the United States have doubled since 1980. The rates have tripled for 12- to 19-year-olds in the same period. And in 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were classified as overweight or obese.

October is National Childhood Obesity Awareness month. It's the perfect time to raise awareness for this health crisis and get educated about what can be done. Today at 1 p.m. ET, ABC Health will be hosting a tweet chat to discuss childhood obesity with experts, doctors, advocates and concerned parents. The chat will be moderated by Dr. Richard Besser, the chief health and medical correspondent for ABC News.

To find out more about how you can join the conversation, click here and be sure to scroll through the live blog below during and after the chat. Mobile users can view the live blog here.