Female obesity holds steady

CHICAGO —  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.