In the ongoing public health battle against childhood obesity, it's worth celebrating the news that the epidemic among American kids may finally be leveling off. But with 32 percent of children ages 2 through 19 still considered to be either overweight or clinically obese, there should be no letup in the crusade against this threat.

Some experts believe the epidemic may have reached a natural saturation point, with virtually all the children who have a family history of obesity already having been classified as overweight.

Still, anecdotal reports show cause for optimism. In Summerville, Mass., school officials doubled the amount of fruit served in school lunches and set up programs for more physical activity during and after school hours. They also added crosswalks in neighborhoods to encourage more students to walk to school. The initial results indicate Summerville children gained less weight than children in nearby communities.

In Arkansas, obesity rates leveled off after vending machines were eliminated and an extra half-hour of daily physical activity was mandated in elementary schools. Arkansas also sends home to parents an annual report on body mass index for 475,000 children. (The Georgia General Assembly briefly considered something similar earlier this year, but backed off after a storm of protest.)

Excess weight greatly magnifies the risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and other lifelong conditions that lower the quality of life and increase the risk of death. So public health programs must continue to promote healthy diets, more exercise and the elimination of junk foods in schools.

—- Mike King, for the editorial board (mking@ajc.com)