A recent report projected 44 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030.
F for Fat: Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012
Think it couldn't possibly be that bad? Look at data from 1991; in almost every state less than 10 percent were obese. Now look at the data from 2011; in all 50 states more than 20 percent are obese.
Here's how the predicted rates of obesity threaten our future:
- there will be 7.9 million new cases of diabetes, compared to 1.9 million new cases in recent years.
- There could be 6.8 million new cases of chronic heart disease and stroke every year, compared with 1.3 million new cases per year now.
- Today, obesity-related medical costs are $147 billion to $210 billion (out of total healthcare spending of $2.7 trillion). In the future, add $66 billion more in annual obesity costs.
The projected rates support a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that by 2030, 42 percent of U.S. adults could be obese, adding $550 billion to healthcare costs over that period.
This is a real problem, what can we do today to start fighting it?
