American teenagers are eating more vegetables, getting more exercise, watching less television, and eating fewer portions of junk food that’s high in sugar, according to a new study by the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

Researchers collected data on 35,000 children aged 11 to 16 from 2001 to 2009. They found that average Body Mass Index (BMI) for the teens dropped between 2005 and 2009, and that over the course of the total decade, consumption of fruits and vegetables nearly doubled from two to four days per week to five or six days per week. Younger Americans also ate breakfast more times per week over this period, while their weekly sugary drink consumption fell by 20 percent. The number of days they exercised for at least 60 minutes went up significantly from 4.33 days per week to 4.53 days per week.

The study is the latest in a series of encouraging reports suggesting that Americans are beginning to take better care of their physical health. ‘It’s only recently, in the past decade, that some studies have begun to see some leveling off [in behavior that causes obesity],