Study Predicts 260 Million Americans Could Be Overweight Or Obese By 2050

A new study published in The Lancet has brought out a sharp rise in the overweight and obese population in the United States in the course of the next 25 years. About nearly 260 million Americans are projected to be overweight or obese by 2050, creating huge pressure on healthcare and driving up the cost of medicine.

The study suggests that for men, adult obesity rates are projected to increase from 76 percent to 81 percent and for women, the rate increases from 73 percent to 82 percent. Ng, co-author and affiliate associate professor of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, concluded that only adding more medical solutions for weight loss would not reverse the trend. This requires even more emphasis on a healthy diet and regular exercise, she said.

Ng said this is all combining to contribute to the continuation of the ascent in obesity prevalence over the past three decades. If it continues, such drivers of this scenario will likely worsen the obesity crisis.

Obesity is a condition associated with serious health complications such as diabetes, heart conditions, and cancer. GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound have been proven to result in weight loss and, more potently, in the decrease of other risks associated with the condition. Their very high price and limited distribution while also the incomplete cover from insurance create difficulties in easy access. As Ng explained, “Equitable access is very important if we are to leverage this medicine.”

Projections indicate that obesity has almost doubled since 1990. High-calorie diets, sedentary behavior, and lack of access to healthier nutrition in some low-income areas are the leading causes of this development. By 2050, one in five children and one in three adolescents may have obesity. The southern states will continue to be hit the hardest, but Colorado, New Mexico, and Kansas will rise the most.

This is an issue not just for one particular state,” Ng concluded, “but the whole nation.