Fat and getting fatter: U.S. obesity rates to soar by 2030

Think Americans are big now? Wait till 2030. A new report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimates that, if Americans don’t change their ways, half the nation will be obese in the next 18 years. All that extra weight will likely strain the health care system, as overweight and obese patients are significantly more likely to deal with diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and endometrial cancer. Bottom line: if behaviors don’t change, expect a $66 billion annual increase in obesity-related medical costs.