Divided on obesity plan

American evangelicals are the only major religious group where a majority opposes the federal efforts to reduce childhood obesity, a Pew Research Center survey shows.

Fifty-six percent of white evangelicals said the government should not play a significant roll in reducing childhood obesity, compared to 42 percent who said it should.

Overall, 57 percent of Americans favored such a government role while 39 percent did not.

Other groups viewed a government role more favorably, including 61 percent of Roman Catholics and religiously unaffiliated Americans, 75 percent of African-American Protestants and 51 percent of white mainline Protestants.