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NEW YORK, NY March 27, 2008 — New York City residents have been closing the obesity gap with the rest of the country and not in a good way.

A new study by the Health Department found that in 2002, 19 percent of New Yorkers could be classified as obese, a couple points less than the national average.

By 2004, the rate was pretty much the same - just under 23 percent. That might not sound like much of a difference, but researchers say it’s a relatively large drop in a short period of time, and they say the results are surprising.

The city population consists of more immigrants than the rest of the country and though immigrants have their own health problems, they tend to be less fat than those born here.

Also, New Yorkers are thought to walk more and drive less than their counterparts in the nation’s sprawling areas, so they should be in better physical condition.

For WNYC, I’m Fred Mogul.