Rising U.S. obesity rate could hinder efforts to reduce healthcare costs

A new report published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine calls for intensive strategies to combat the obesity epidemic in America in order to keep healthcare costs under control.

For the report, future obesity and severe obesity prevalence were estimated through regression modeling by projecting trends in explanatory variables expected to influence obesity prevalence. 

The model forecasts a 42% obesity rate and severe obesity rate prevalence of 11% by the year 2030.  This is lower than an estimate from another recent study, which suggested that 51% of the population would be obese by 2030, but is a 33% increase in obesity prevalence and a 130% increase in severe obesity prevalence over the next 2 decades.

The authors call for new policies and strategies to combat obesity in America, otherwise, if projected obesity rates are correct, efforts to reduce the cost of healthcare will be hindered.

(Sources: The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, http://www.ajpmonline.org, May 2012, Kaiser Daily Health Policy Project, http://kaiserhealthnews.org, May 7, 2012)