Suarez there may be hope yet for bringing the National Epidemic of obesity under control. At least, the latest numbers on calories and fast food, released today, indicated possible progress. For years, Health Officials have warned about americans growing girth. Now, research from the centers for Disease Control and prevention suggests the fight against fat may be having an effect. Among the findings American Children consumed fewer calories in 2010 than a decade before 7 less for boys and 4 less for girls. And for adults, fast food accounted for just over 11 of the calories consumed in 2010, down from nearly 13 in 2006. The researchers acknowledge the changes are small and cant be fully explained. But public campaigns against obesity have intensified in recent years. Last september, for instance, new york citys board of Health Limited sugared drinks and sodas to 16 ounces or less. Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised the prohibition that takes effect march 12th. This is the single biggest step any city i think has taken to curb obesity, but certainly not the last step that lots of cities are going to take. And we believe that it will help save lives. Suarez and today, continuing her longrunning lets move campaign, First Lady Michelle Obama along with big bird of sesame street issued new Public Service announcements encouraging kids to get active and eat healthy. No matter what your age, its important to get your body moving every single day to help keep you healthy. Look, mrs. Obama, im getting moving right now by jogging suarez if a healthy trend is developing, it still has a long way to go. As of 2012, the c. D. C. Estimated more than onethird of American Adults and one out of three of children were obese. We examine todays numbers and the larger challenges obesity still presents with two people who have studied the epidemic closely. Michael moss is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer for the New York Times. His new book salt, sugar, fat. How the food giants hooked us. Looks at how companies have contributed to weight gain. And dr. William dietz is the former director of the division of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity at the c. D. C. Michael moss, let me start with you. I know there are caveats and things to be further explained, but just the gross statistics adults consuming fewer calories from fast food, children consuming fewer calories overall. Thats good news, isnt it . Well, thats fabulous news for nutritionists who are concerned about these foods. I mean, these are among the foods that we all hate to love because theyre cal or willally dense. They pack in huge amounts of sugar, fat, and salt into small packagings and no doubt have contributed greatly to the obesity epidemic as well as other health concerns, diabetes, etc. , in this country. Suarez dr. Dietz, is there a not so fast moment waiting here . Are you worried about getting too happy about this report . Im not sure this is good news. When we look at the obesity statistics, the prevalence, the frequency has stayed flat in girls and has s increasing in boys. But with a decrease of 150 calories in boys and 80 calories in girls which this study demonstrated we would expect weight loss. The only way that we can explain the decline in calories and the increase in obesity in boys, flat in girls, is that physical activity has declined and if thats thecation, thats a real concern because physical activity plays a major role in the prevention of chronic diseases, including obesity. Suarez so whats the assignment now . Is it stringing together more years of that declining consumption along with, as you suggest, increased physical activity . Well, for sure we need to decrease consumption, particularly of specific products which contribute excessive calories for the diets of children and adolescents. Suarez carb consumption as well. Well, sugar drinks are the main source of sugar but pizzas and other big sources of calories havent gotten as much attention. By the same token, we need to increase physical activity. Because physical activity reduces the risk factors associated with obesity like elevated cholesterol, like elevated insulin and glucose levels, like elevated blood pressure. Suarez michael moss, along with knowing the raw statistics, is it important to know why . Could it be from economic factors that a lot of people just had less money to spend on all kinds of things, including food . Or would you want to know that its the fact that the messages from the big voices in the culture finally are taking hold . You know, americans are becoming much more concerned about the food that we put in our mouths but, yes, theres a couple cautionary notes beyond those mentioned by dr. Dietz. One, the data comes from the recession period when people are trying to save money by cutting back on eating out of the home. The other cautionary note is the question, you know, what were they replacing these fast foods with . And in my reporting for the book i found that over the years recently fast food type products have been moving into the Grocery Store where you see more entirely prepared meals ready to eat in the School Lunchroom or at home that have almost caloric loads as fast food restaurants so it becomes a question of, okay, youre cutting back fast food but what are you replacing with those and are those healthier for people . Suarez do you agree theres a lot more we have to know in order to understand whats going on here . Oh, absolutely we do. But i think that the concern i have that about the potential explanation for these findings that is a decrease in physical activity should increase the urgency of restoring physical Education Programs to schools of restoring recess to schools. Of making our communities more physical activity friendly. Suarez do you worry about the trend that michael moss brought up of well, maybe were going to fast food restaurants less often but the food were buying to eat at home is more like fast food food . Absolutely. I think the Food Companies as michael has pointed out, have painted themselves into a corner because the same characteristics or the same nutrients which make food so tasty that is salt, sodium, and fat, are the same characteristics that make them unhealthy. So his point about what people are replacing those foods with is well taken. Suarez one of the less ballyhooed statistics was that people who were already obese consumed more fast food in this same period. And these are the people who were already in danger, werent they . Its so distressing to hear that, too, because within the Food Industry the heaviest consumers, the heaviest consumers of the worst foods are typically referred to by companies as heavy users and companies who who put most of their marketing and efforts on encouraging those consumers to maintain their high levels of consumption and you see that across the board whether its grocery manufacturers or fast food, concerns focusing on those people who are eating a lot because it makes more economic sense for companies to focus their marketing on those individuals and as you point out those are the people who should be least eating those foods, the people we should be most concerned about. So in the Grocery Store when you see lowfat products, low sugar products, alternatives to the mainline items companies sell, often the people eating those are the people we least need to have eating those. Suarez so is the Food Industry on board or not on getting americans to eat healthier and weigh less . Well, i think its certainly some companies are doing more than others. But they have gotten the message both, i think, from the Public Health advocates and increasingly from the public that things need to change. The question is how rapidly are they changing and how big a difference will those changes make . Suarez michael moss, i cut you off. Well, one of the problems for the companies is theyre beholden not only to consumers but to wall street and the fierce Competition Among companies themselves and their obligation to shareholders to keep profits up has also boxed in these companies as they move forward and decide how much can they afford to pull back on these loads of salt, sugar, fat, in order to create a healthier product without jeopardizing sales. Suarez with all your cautions in mind well keep an eye on this. Michael moss, dr. Dietz, thank you both. Very welcome. Woodruff still to come on the newshour embracing Government Health care for the poor; the ever more deadly syrian civil war; floridas liberal gun laws; teens on gun violence. Plus, oscar wild cards and front runners. But first, the other news of the day. Heres hari sreenivasan. Sreenivasan a new winter storm blasted its way across the nations midsection today, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain and even thunder and lightning. Weather warnings and watches extended to at least 20 states, from new mexico all the way to virginia. In parts of kansas and colorado the snow fell at a rate of more than two inches an hour. It caused whiteout conditions, shutting down highways, schools and some state legislatures. Forecasters said the system will push on to the great lakes and appalachians, with a spinoff storm dumping heavy snow on new england. The snowfall in the plains brought some relief to the drought stricken region, but not enough. In fact, government climate experts warned the drought is likely to continue through at least spring. Drought conditions are also expected to spread to california, texas and florida. Currently, just over half of the u. S. Is affected by some form of drought, but thats down from last year. The u. S. Chamber of commerce and the a. F. L. C. I. O. Have agreed on principles for a key part of Immigration Reform letting in more lowerskilled workers. The two groups called today for a new Worker Visa Program that makes it easier to hire Foreign Workers when americans are not available to fill jobs. The principles also envision a federal bureau to track labor market needs and shortages. The focus of the gun control debate shifted back to connecticut today. Vice President Biden attended a conference in danbury, just miles from sandy hook elementary school, where 26 people were killed last december. Biden urged support for the administrations proposals to curb gun violence and he warned there is a moral price to pay for inaction. The president is absolutely determined, that the loudest voices will be for the voices of the people who lost their voice. They will be the loudest voices in this debate. We intend to speak for them; enough is enough. We have an obligation to act. And we are taking that obligation seriously, responsibly, and were acting expeditiously. Sreenivasan well have more from our after newtown series later in the program. Gunfire erupted in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip before dawn today and when it was over, three people were dead and at least six injured. The shooting sent a maserati crashing into a taxi, sending that car up in flames. Police said someone in a black range rover had opened fire on the maserati near several major casinos. There was no word on a motive. Police in nevada and neighboring Southern California were on the lookout for the range rover. In southern india, a double bombing killed at least a dozen and injured scores more. The targets were a Movie Theater and a bus station in hyderabad, a city thats a major center for information technology. Indian authorities said the explosives were attached to bicycles that had been parked in a busy market. They were detonated minutes apart. There were startling numbers today on this seasons flu vaccine. The u. S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention reported that among seniors, the vaccine works just 9 of the time against the most common and virulent flu strain of the season. Thats the one causing most of the illnesses this year. For all age groups, the vaccine has been about as effective as in previous years. In economic news, firsttime claims for Unemployment Benefits rose last week, signaling that the recovery is still moving slowly. The news put a damper on wall street. The Dow Jones Industrial average lost nearly 47 points to close at 13,880. The nasdaq fell almost 33 points to close at 3,131. Those are some of the days major stories. Now, back to judy. Woodruff and we turn to the battles playing out over the Health Reform law and particularly the expansion of the Medicaid Program. Many republican governors have long insisted they would not participate. But some of those more prominent opponents are shifting their position. Now that includes the governor of the state that first brought suit against obamacare. Floridas governor rick scott has been one of the most vocal critics of president obamas healthcare law. This is going to be devastating for patients. Woodruff but yesterday, he reversed his decision to block the expansion of medicaid. While the federal government is committed to paying 100 of the cost of new people in medicaid, i cannot, in good conscience, deny the uninsured access to care. We will support a threeyear expansion of our Medicaid Program under the new healthcare law, as long as the federal government meets their commitment to pay 100 of the cost during this time. Woodruff scott, up for re election next year, is the seventh g. O. P. Governor of late to accept the Medicaid Expansion. Arizonas jan brewer, Ohios John Kasich and michigans rick snyder have also reversed their decision recently. Scotts move is also significant because florida has one of the nations highest level of uninsured residents. More than a Million People could be added to the states medicaid rolls, potentially funneling an estimated 73 billion in federal money to the state over a decade. Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that provides Health Coverage for low income families and those with disabilities, is key to the president s Affordable Care act. The Congressional Budget Office projects 12 million americans will gain coverage through Medicaid Expansion. Starting in 2014, the federal government will pick up 100 of the cost. By 2017, the governments share starts to ramp down, so that by 2020, moving forward, washington will pay 90 of the tab with states picking up the other 10 . But Many Republican governors said this summer they would not opt into the Medicaid Expansion after the Supreme Court ruled states could opt out and not be penalized. Texas governor rick perry was among them. The state leads the nation in the number of uninsured residents some six million. The idea of expanding medicaid, were not going to do it in texas. Woodruff to date, at least a dozen republican governors are declining to take part in the expansion. And even in states like florida, it still must be approved by state legislatures. We take a closer look now at the shift by scott and others and the choices states face ahead of next years rollout of the new health care law. We get two views. Paul howard is senior fellow and director of the center for medical progress at the manhattan institute, a conservative policy research center. And ron pollock is executive director of families u. S. A. A Health Care ConsumerAdvocacy Group which worked to help pass the law. And gentlemen, we welcome you both to the newshour. Thank you. Pelley ron pollock, let me start with you whats your reaction to this announcement from Governor Scott . I think its a hallelujah moment. I think its terrific. I think this means that were going to see states all across the country, i think, follow what Governor Scott has done. As you aptly indicated, florida was the state that first went to court to challenge the constitutionality of the Affordable Care act. It was that case that went to the Supreme Court. So this is a big deal. And mind you, for floridians this is enormous, because if youve looked at the eligibility standards that exist today theyre really meager for parents, for example, in a threeperson family. Theyre ineligible for Health Coverage under medicaid if they have incomes over 11,000. For people who are dont have any children, it makes no difference what their income is, theyre ineligible for medicaid. So this would be an improvement. Woodruff i want to ask you about eligibility. Paul howard, how do you see this decision by Governor Scott in florida . Well, i think its obviously a political decision on the part of the governor whos facing low Approval Ratings in the state and trying to do something to elevate his stature and perhaps move to the center. I think its a mixed bag for florida. You want to expand coverage to low income americans but florida as a whole spends about a third of its budget on medicaid. Its the largest expenditure and its crowding out other spending on things like education and infrastructure. Thats a story repeated across the country not just in republican o