Female obesity holds steady

Obesity continues to spread among adult American males and children but there are indications that the problem may have leveled off for adult women.

The reading was based on a look at a representative sample of more than 8,000 adults and children whose weight was checked in 2003 and 2004, and compared with a similar sample taken beginning in 1999.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they found obesity among men increased from 27.5% of the population in the earlier measurement to 31.1%. But no significant increase was observed in women who remained at about the 33% level.

For female children and adolescents, the level of obesity increased to 16% from 13.8%, while the reading for male children and adolescents went to 18.2% from 14%.

The study was published in last week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Assn.