Young Children Not as Fat as 10 Years Ago

The obesity rate among very young children dropped sharply in the last decade, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control.

Ten years ago, 14 percent of children from ages 2 to 5 were obese. Now that figure is down to 8 percent, a 43 percent drop.

The drop off was seen in only preschool-age kids, not in older children.

Experts caution that it's hard to know if this a permanent trend, but they said it's enough of a decline to be optimistic.

"We see hope in young kids," Cynthia Ogden, lead author and epidemiologist of the study said.

"We continue to see signs that, for some children in this country, the scales are tipping," CDC Director Tom Frieden said. "This confirms that at least for kids, we can turn the tide and begin to reverse the obesity epidemic."