The future health of the United States is at a crossroads, due in large part to the obesity epidemic. Each year, the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) issue F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future to examine strategies for addressing the obesity crisis. In this ninth edition of the report, TFAH and RWJF also commissioned a new study to look at how obesity could impact the future health and wealth of our nation. This new analysis provides a picture of two possible futures for the health of Americans over the next 20 years: (1) If obesity rates continue on their current trajectory, it's estimated that: (a) Obesity rates for adults could reach or exceed 44 percent in every state and exceed 60 percent in 13 states; (b) The number of new cases of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke, hypertension and arthritis could increase 10 times between 2010 and 2020--and then double again by 2030; and (c) Obesity-related health care costs could increase by more than 10 percent in 43 states and by more than 20 percent in nine states. (2) But, if we could lower obesity trends by reducing the average adult BMI (body mass index) by only 5 percent in each state, we could spare millions of Americans from serious health problems and save billions of dollars in health spending--between 6.5 percent and 7.8 percent in costs in almost every state. As this year's report details, we have seen important inroads made toward preventing and reducing obesity around the country, especially among children. We know that real changes are possible. But we also have found that efforts will need to be intensified if we are going to achieve a major reduction in obesity and related health problems.
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