Researchers say the rates of childhood obesity have declined in 19 states – but Arizona is not one of them. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said between 2008-2011, states including California, New Mexico, Florida, Washington and 15 others saw slight decreases in their childhood obesity rates. Arizona was one of 21 states which did not see a change in its rates – along with Nevada and Oregon, among others.
Three states saw slight increases in their rates – Colorado, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Texas and Utah were among several states not included in the report. CDC researchers looked at the height and weight of close to 12 million kids between two and four years old, who take part in federally-funded nutrition programs.
Nationally, the CDC says one in eight preschoolers is obese. Those numbers are worse for Hispanic and African-American kids.