The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says obesity rates in the country are dropping for the very young.
The results of a recent survey found that obesity rates took a dive of 43 percent for the nation's preschoolers. At a local school district, the news is not all that surprising.
One researcher calls this latest report a glimmer of hope as the CDC said obesity is on the decline for children 2 to 5 years old. They seem to suggest that parents and schools were doing a better job of providing children with nutritious meals and snacks.
At the Ferndale Early Education Center in Glen Burnie pizza is still popular during the lunch hour, but so are fruits and vegetables. The school district has made healthy eating choices a top priority.
"We just feel we have made such efforts and we've really made a difference in the healthy meals that we serve each and every day and the physical activity that we provide for our students in school," said Jodi Risse with the Anne Arundel County Schools.
Some 5-year-olds could not agree more.
"There's food. They're different foods every day and then they tell us what there is for lunch and the kids just stand in line," student Teagan Geisler said.
The healthy lunches also appear to be helping children to focus more in the classroom.
"I've been around for a while and I've seen students with the old school lunches were much more energetic a little bit more carefree and now it's much more focused we are here until about 3:40 every day and they have enough energy to make it to the end of the day," Ferndale Early Education Center Principal Lisa Rice said.
Even those children who bring their lunches to school are doing so with nutrition in mind. And school officials say regular exercise is also making a difference in student health.
"Our attention and our purposely increasing physical activity opportunities throughout the school day has really paid a dividend and we see kids who are physically active and eating the right foods," Skip Lee, with Anne Arundel County police said.
They are eating the right foods now and as they become older.
Anne Arundel County has a number of food and nutrition programs in its middle and high schools.