Obesity in the United States it has continued to rise for decades even in the face of increased awareness and access to healthy lifestyle choices. A new study published in The Lancet The medical journal predicts this trend won’t reverse anytime soon, son.

New research shows the obesity epidemic will reach alarming levels by the middle of this century. In total, scientists believe that 213 million adults and 43.1 million children and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2050. Although it may seem far away, we are already in deep water. In 2021, 172 million adults and 36.5 million children and adolescents were overweight or fat. The current population of the US is approximately 335 million people and is expect to reach over 370 million by 2050.

“Obesity is at a crisis point across the U.S.,” study co-author Dr. Marie Ng made clear. CNN.

The team from the Institute for Health Measurement and Evaluation at the University of Washington made their predictions using information from 134 different sources, which included all important national surveillance survey data. Their projection model highlighted how bad things can get if we continue on the same path.

Last studied they illuminated how dangerous obesity rates have become; are among the fastest growing risk factors for early death or disability in the US. Those affected may experience a wide variety of health complications such as diabetes, cancer, heart problems, breathing problems and even mental health issues.

Young people with obesity are especially at risk of future health problems, so the figures for children and adolescents should be particularly worrying. Established research showed that young people who are obese or overweight have a significantly higher risk of having weight problems later in life.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle it is essential not only to stay out of this statistic, but also to ensure positive health outcomes at every moment of your life. However, personal responsibility alone will not get the country as a whole out of this epidemic.

“Existing policies have failed to address overweight and obesity. Without major reform, the predicted trends will be devastating at the individual and population levels, and the associated disease burden and economic costs will continue to rise,” the scientists concluded in their study. “Stronger governance is needed to support and implement a multifaceted whole-of-system approach to disrupting the structural drivers of overweight and obesity both nationally and locally. Although clinical innovations should be harnessed to treat and manage existing obesity equitably, population-level prevention remains central to any intervention strategies, particularly for children and adolescents.”