Half of America will be obese within 10 years unless habits change, study says

The United States will hit an unprecedented level of obesity in the next decade if American lifestyle habits don’t change soon, according to a new study.

Within 10 years, more than half of all Americans will be obese, and one in four will be considered severely obese, meaning they will be more than 100 pounds overweight, the study found.

The projections were published in the

and were based on data from more than 6 million U.S. adults.

The study found that the South and Midwest will be the hardest hit, but no state will be spared.

The lead author said severe obesity will become the most common body mass index (BMI) category.

The consequences could have a devastating impact on the U.S. healthcare system.

Interventions on the local and national level could help reverse the trend.

Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages is one way to address the problem. Experts said such drinks are one of the main contributors to the country’s weight problem.

Promoting farm-to-school and farm-to-work programs that boost access to locally grown fruits and vegetables could also help, along with calorie labeling on menus.

Due to how difficult obesity is to treat, the study stresses that prevention is the only way to slow the epidemic.