ATLANTA – A new government report reveals that childhood obesity is declining. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 18 states and territories reported decreases in obesity among low-income preschoolers. Still, 1 in 8 preschoolers are considered obese in the United States.

"This is the first report to show many states with declining rates of obesity in our youngest children after literally decades of rising rates,” said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden.

Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, South Dakota and the U.S. Virgin Islands had the largest decreases in obesity prevalence, each with a decrease of about 1 percentage point. Twenty states and Puerto Rico experienced no significant change, and obesity prevalence increased significantly in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

This study included approximately 12.1 million children aged 2–4 years from 43 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System contributors, including 40 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories (U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico).