New government data suggest that while US levels of obesity and overweight remain far too high, the rate of increase may be slowing. About one-third of adults were obese in the latest analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). But among women, the prevalence of obesity showed no statistically significant changes compared to 1999. Although mens obesity rate did increase over that 10-year span, the most recent three surveys did not differ significantly from each other.
William Dietz, MD, an obesity expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which released the findings, commented, Were at the corner; we havent turned the corner.