We learned that for the first time in years, childhood obesity rate in the U.S. slightly declined.

Rising obesity rates have plagued Americans since about the 1980s.  But an encouraging study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the childhood obesity rate is slowly declining.  The most recent obesity data found that childhood obesity dropped from 15.2 percent in 2003 to 14.9 percent in 2010. 

What is especially encouraging is that the most at-risk demographic of kids – poor, minority children – saw the biggest dip in obesity rates.

It is unclear exactly what is driving the decline, but the dip in numbers has CDC officials excited.