Study: Calif. Student Obesity Rates Rising at Slower Pace

Obesity rates are rising at a slower pace among California students, according to a UC-Davis Health System study of state-mandated physical fitness tests of school-aged children. Data show that obesity rates among fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders increased by 0.33% in 2008, compared with 0.8% to 1.7% annually in previous decades.

• "Obesity Prevention Efforts in Schools Yield Some Success" (Lin, California Watch, 3/5).