Funding for anti-tobacco programs experienced a sharp drop as public health priorities shift towards fighting obesity, according to a story in the New York Times.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the US' largest private grant maker for anti-smoking efforts, was said to have reduced tobacco-related grants to USD 4 million last year while committing USD 58 million to anti-obesity efforts.
With Michelle Obama leading a campaign against childhood obesity, the White House steered USD 1.15 billion from the economic-stimulus and health-care overhaul bills toward the fight against obesity, compared to USD 200 million for preventing tobacco use. States are also said to be cutting back on funds for anti-smoking programs, raising concerns among tobacco-control organisations.
One in five Americans still smokes, according the the New York Time, while one in three is obese. (pi)