Half Of Americans To Be Obese By 2030: Report

Amanda L. Chan
Updated

Half of Americans will be obeseby 2030 if things continue the way they are now, according to four new papers in theLancet.

And as a result, there will also be an additional 6.8 million cases of stroke and heart disease, 7.8 million cases of diabetes and 539,000 cases of cancer, which could place an extra $66 billion burden on the nation's healthcare bill, according to the research.

"At the rate we're looking at right now, it's adire prediction," study researcher Claire Wang, of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, told ABC News. "Something has to be done."

Right now in the United States, about 32 percent of men and 35 percent of womenare obese, researchers said. Obesity is defined as having abody mass index(BMI, a measure of height and weight) above 30. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal weight.

Researchers pinneda lot of the blame on the food industry, which more and more is producing cheap and processed foods that have led to "passive overconsumption." Therefore, they said, more measures will be needed to curb the influencing factors that contribute to obesity.

One of the reports also told of the creation of a new computer program that could more accuratelypredict how much weight a person will lose, CNN reported. It works by taking into account a person's metabolism and body composition -- two factors that are not one-size-fits-all that can affect a weight-loss prediction.

From CNN:

The computer’s predicted weight loss is significantly less than other formulas suggested, but the authors believe it’s much more realistic.

Obesity rates in the U.K. are also expected to balloon, with 41 to 48 percent of men and 35 to 43 percent of women expected to be obese by 2030, compared with 26 percent of the population who is obese today.

Previous studies have made similar forecasts: A 2007 British study predicted half the U.K. population would be obese by 2032.

Elsewhere in the world, theobesity rates are lower, Reuters reported. In Japan and China, for example, 1 in 20 women is obese, while 1 in 10 women are obese in the Netherlands and 1 in 4 women are obese in Australia. On the other hand, obesity rates are extremely high in Tonga, with 7 in 10 obese there.

Earlier this summer, a report came out detailing themost and least obese statesin the United States. The fittest is Colorado, with an obesity rate of barely less than 20 percent, while Mississippi is the fattest state, as more than 30 percent of its residents are obese.

For a full ranking of themost and least obese states, click on:

#1 Least Obese: Colorado

From 2008 to 2010, 19.8 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 19.8 percent of people were obese, on average.

#2: Connecticut

From 2008 to 2010, 21.8 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 21.8 percent of people were obese, on average.

#3: Massachusetts

From 2008 to 2010, 22.3 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 22.3 percent of people were obese, on average.

#4: Hawaii

From 2008 to 2010, 23.1 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 23.1 percent of people were obese, on average.

#5: Washington, D.C.

From 2008 to 2010, 21.7 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 21.7 percent of people were obese, on average.

#6: Utah

From 2008 to 2010, 23.4 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 23.4 percent of people were obese, on average.

#7: Vermont

From 2008 to 2010, 23.5 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 23.5 percent of people were obese, on average.

#8: Montana

From 2008 to 2010, 23.8 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 23.8 percent of people were obese, on average.

#9: New Jersey

From 2008 to 2010, 24.1 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 24.1 percent of people were obese, on average.

#10: Rhode Island

From 2008 to 2010, 24.3 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 24.3 percent of people were obese, on average.

#11: New York

From 2008 to 2010, 24.7 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 24.7 percent of people were obese, on average.

#12: California

From 2008 to 2010, 24.8 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 24.8 percent of people were obese, on average.

#13: Nevada

From 2008 to 2010, 25 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25 percent of people were obese, on average.

#14: Minnesota

From 2008 to 2010, 25.3 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.3 percent of people were obese, on average.

#15: Oregon

From 2008 to 2010, 25.4 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.4 percent of people were obese, on average.

#16: Wyoming

From 2008 to 2010, 25.4 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.4 percent of people were obese, on average.

#17: Arizona

From 2008 to 2010, 25.4 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.4 percent of people were obese, on average.

#18: New Hampshire

From 2008 to 2010, 25.6 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.6 percent of people were obese, on average.

#19: New Mexico

From 2008 to 2010, 25.6 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.6 percent of people were obese, on average.

#20: Idaho

From 2008 to 2010, 25.7 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.7 percent of people were obese, on average.

#21: Alaska

From 2008 to 2010, 25.9 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.9 percent of people were obese, on average.

#22: Virginia

From 2008 to 2010, 25.9 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 25.9 percent of people were obese, on average.

#23: Florida

From 2008 to 2010, 26.1 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 26.1 percent of people were obese, on average.

#24: Washington

From 2008 to 2010, 26.4 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 26.4 percent of people were obese, on average.

#25: Maine

From 2008 to 2010, 26.5 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 26.5 percent of people were obese, on average.

#26: Maryland

From 2008 to 2010, 27.1 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 27.1 percent of people were obese, on average.

#27: Wisconsin

From 2008 to 2010, 27.4 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 27.4 percent of people were obese, on average.

#28: Nebraska

From 2008 to 2010, 27.6 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 27.6 percent of people were obese, on average.

#29: Illinois

From 2008 to 2010, 27.7 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 27.7 percent of people were obese, on average.

#30: Delaware

From 2008 to 2010, 28 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 28 percent of people were obese, on average.

#31: North Dakota

From 2008 to 2010, 28 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 28 percent of people were obese, on average.

#32: Iowa

From 2008 to 2010, 28.1 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 28.1 percent of people were obese, on average.

#33: Pennsylvania

From 2008 to 2010, 28.5 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 28.5 percent of people were obese, on average.

#34: Georgia

From 2008 to 2010, 28.7 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 28.7 percent of people were obese, on average.

#35: South Dakota

From 2008 to 2010, 28.7 percent of people were obese, on average.
From 2008 to 2010, 28.7 percent of people were obese, on average.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.