Science

Report: More than half of Georgians could be obese by 2030

September 19th, 2012

A new report forecasts a dramatic increase in obesity in every state by 2030 if current obesity rates continue to climb by the same percentage. Georgia ranked in the middle of the pack in the report, but that still means a significant portion of the population would be obese.

If your body mass index is 30 or higher, you would be considered obese. That’s according to a report by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report found that unless current obesity rates go down, nearly 54 percent of adult Georgians would be obese by 2030. That’s up from 28 percent who are obese now. Rich Hamburg is the deputy director of Trust for America’s Health.

“I think Georgia could certainly do more, I think every state needs to do more, and that every state should be sobered by the potential of these rates rising to well over 50 percent.”

But the report found the increase is not a foregone conclusion. Hamburg says Georgia could dramatically decrease health care costs from obesity related diseases by reducing the average body mass index of residents by five percent. That would mean a loss of about eleven pounds per person.

“Say we actually reduced BMI 5 percent more, costs in the state of Georgia would see a savings of $22.7 billion between now and 2030.”

To reach that goal and to ensure obesity rates don’t continue to skyrocket, Hamburg says everyone including government leaders, employers, schools and individuals needs to promote and engage in healthier diets and physical activity.

For More Information:

“F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2012” from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (description with link to PDF report)