Women Win One in Battle of Bulge

Obesity rates among American women have leveled off and remained steady since 1999, while rates among American men may be following suit, the CDC reported today. The study’s lead researcher called the trend “great news” for women. Officials will wait to render a final verdict for men, the New York Times reports.

Obesity rates plateaued eight years ago for women, at 35%, and in 2003 for men, at 33%. Rates vary with age: in people 40 to 59, 40% of men and 41% of women are obese. A weight management expert criticized the CDC’s 2010 goal for a national obesity rate of 15%, calling it “unrealistic.” “When the bar is set too high, people do nothing,” she explained. (More obesity stories.)