Obesity Epidemic In America Shows Signs of Plateauing

"I'm optimistic, but I'm wary about the trend for men until we see more data," she said.

Ogden said the reasons that the epidemic might be easing were unclear, but some have speculated that the nation may have reached a saturation point, where most of those predisposed to obesity have already got there.

"Maybe we've gotten as heavy as we can," she said.

Efforts to get people to exercise more and eat better may also be starting to pay off, the CDC's Dietz said.

"I think people are paying attention more to nutrition and physical activity around the country," said Dietz, citing data released last week showing a rise in exercise rates and indications that eating patterns are improving and more employers are focusing on helping employees control their weight.

It is also unclear why women appear to be leading the way, outpacing men at first in gaining weight but now leveling off while men catch up. But experts said women tend to lead the way in issues related to health.

"Women are well-known to be the early adopters of health-related behaviors," Dietz said. "They also play a key role in most families in terms of what kinds of foods come into the house and how it is prepared."

Ogden noted that obesity rates vary by age, with adults ages 40 to 59 having the highest. About 40 percent of men in this age group are obese, compared with 28 percent of those 20 to 39 and 32 percent of men 60 and older. Among women, 41 percent of those 40 to 59 are obese, compared with 30.5 percent of women 20 to 39 and about 34 percent of women age 60 and older.

There are also large racial disparities among women. Approximately 53 percent of non-Hispanic black women and 51 percent of Mexican-American women ages 40 to 59 are obese, compared with about 39 percent of non-Hispanic white women of the same age.

Several researchers noted that childhood obesity rates are continuing to increase.

"As more obese children reach adulthood, it is conceivable that obesity levels will begin to rise again," David B. Allison, director of the clinical nutrition research center of the University of Alabama at Birmingham wrote in an e-mail.

In response, the federal government this week is announcing plans to expand efforts to combat obesity among young people, including $10 million to build new school playgrounds.

Here's a link to the report:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/07newsreleases/obesity.htm.