"While that may be true, there is evidence of a more disturbing trend that tells us that the population of people considered to be severely obese continues to rise dramatically," said pediatrician and weight loss expert Dr. Chrystal Wittcopp of Baystate Children's Hospital.
"Obesity and being overweight, especially among children, is still a major public health concern," added Wittcopp, who is medical director of the hospital's Pediatric Weight Management Program.
And, when it comes to kids being overweight, the proof is in the proverbial pudding - preferably sugar-free and low-fat.
Wittcopp said this summer's newly released Status of Childhood Weight in Massachusetts, 2011 - the preliminary results from body mass index screening in Massachusetts public school districts from 2009-2011 - showed that 41.8 percent of Springfield Public School children are overweight or obese.
"That's an alarming number, which concerns me greatly as a pediatrician. We know that obesity in childhood can put our youth at risk for many health problems now and for the rest of their lives," said Wittcopp, citing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, sleep problems and even some cancers as major health problems linked to obesity.
In a submitted release, Wittcopp praised the efforts of Olympic gold medalist and motivational speaker Dominique Dawes - who is speaking at this year's Baystate Health Spirit of Women Annual Event on Nov. 1 - for spreading the word about good nutrition and exercise as a spokeswoman for the President's Council of Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and for working closely with first lady Michelle Obama to help promote the Let's Move! initiative to educate children on fitness and nutrition.
"Public health initiatives like those Dominique is lending a hand to help to increase public awareness of the problem and often result in more people taking action," Wittcopp said.
The Baystate pediatrician said it is going to take a concerted effort among parents, government, schools and others to see that kids have healthier eating and exercise options.
"Most parents wouldn't want an R-rated movie being marketed to their younger children, finding it unhealthy for them to see. The same holds true when companies market unhealthy foods as being appealing to kids. That's something in terms of legislation that we really need to look at," Wittcopp said, citing the New York City Health Department's recent ban of sugared beverages larger than 16 ounces at sites such as restaurants and movie theaters.
"Of course, as parents, we need to set an example for our children when it comes to healthy eating and making sure they are getting the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day," she added.
For more information on the Pediatric Weight Management Program at Baystate Children's Hospital, call (413) 794-0813 or visit baystatehealth.org/bch