If Americans keep getting heavier at the current rate, 42% of
the population will be obese by 2030, a new study says. The
increase accounts for an additional 32 million obese Americans
and a whopping $549.5 billion in medical expenditures over the
same time frame. The rise in obesity rates has slowed over the
past decade or so, settling at about 36% — or 78 million U.S.
adults — in 2010. The new public health report presented on
Monday at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC)
Weight of the Nation conference in Washington, D.C., predicts
that unchecked, that rate could increase by 33% by 2030. “Should
these forecasts prove accurate, the adverse health and cost
consequences of obesity are likely to continue to escalate
without a significant intervention,” said study author Dr.
Justin Trogdon of RTI International, a nonprofit research
organization, in a statement. The number of people with severe
obesity — those with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40, or
who are about 100 lbs. over their h