After 10 Years, Half The US Population Will Be Obese

Researchers at Harvard University and George Washington University analyzed how quickly US residents gain weight and gave a disappointing forecast: by 2030, 49.2 percent of American adults will be obese. For each individual state, this figure is at least 35 percent.

In their study, scientists took a body mass index (BMI) of 30 for the threshold of obesity. A BMI above 40 means severe obesity; according to experts, in 10 years every fourth resident of the USA will have such an indicator.

The main reasons for this trend, scientists call a sedentary lifestyle and the wide availability of sweet food, as well as the use of products that have undergone technological processing. Experts note that obesity can lead to diabetes, heart disease and blood vessels.

According to data for 2015-2016 (the last period for which reliable data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are available), 39.8 percent or 93.3 million Americans were obese.