Our Kids Are Eating Fewer Calories? Really?

New federal study suggests obesity epidemic might be easing off

Looks like the apple slices in the McDonald’s “Happy Meal” are having an impact. Our kids consumed fewer calories in 2010 than they did a decade before, a new federal analysis shows. This was enough progress for health experts to mark a turning point in the U.S. epidemic of childhood obesity. Here’s why: For boys, calorie consumption declined about 7 percent to 2,100 calories a day from 1999 through 2010. For girls, it dropped by 4 percent to 1,755 calories a day. National obesity rates for children have been flat in the last few years, but some cities have recently reported noticeable declines. And the lower calorie intake for children may signal a broader national trend, experts believe. Here’s another interesting factoid from the study: Carbohydrate consumption declined among white and black boys, but not among Hispanic boys. For girls, whites were the only ethnicity to consume fewer calories from carbohydrates, like sugars. (New York Times)

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