Well, at least we’re not getting fatter…

A new study from the National Center for Health Statistics suggests that obesity rates among Americans have plateaued over the past decade, after a number of sharp increases in the previous decades. The story in USA Today notes that the obesity rate among adults moved from 29 percent to 34 percent between 1999 and 2009 — so roughly 73 million Americans are at least 30 pounds over a healthy weight.

William Dietz, Director of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, believes that the public’s awareness of health problems associated with obesity could have an impact similar to awareness campaigns tied to smoking:

“The plateau in tobacco use began when people became aware of the health problems associated with its use,” he says. “We’re at the corner with obesity, but we haven’t turned the corner. Turning the corner would mean we would see a decline.”