Childhood Obesity Rates Slightly Down

Perhaps Michelle Obama should be taken off GQ's least influential list; a report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has found the first decline in the number of obese children in years.

New York City reported a 5.5 percent obesity decline from 2007 to 2011; Philadelphia reported a 5 percent decrease, and Los Angeles had a 3 percent decrease.

Experts are unsure of what caused these declines, but noted that all three cities have passed obesity reduction policies in the past years; Philadelphia has banned sugary drinks from vending machines, deep-fryers from cafeterias, and whole milk in favor of 1 percent and skim milk.

This is reportedly the first decline in 30 years. "It's been nothing but bad news for 30 years, so the fact that we have any good news is a big story," Dr. Thomas Farley, the health commissioner in New York City, told The New York Times.

Researchers hope that other cities will also report a decline in obesity; these numbers might only be available for cities that consistently measure schoolkids' height and weight. Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg should get some more credit for his overbearing, ambitious big soda ban?