WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP)-- A new report says nearly 60 percent of Michigan residents could be obese by 2030 and health care costs could soar if the state doesn't start shedding pounds.
The report released Tuesday by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says the number of obese adults in Michigan expanded from 30.5 percent to 31.3 percent, making it the nation's fifth fattest state. The study says more than 12 percent of Michigan's high school students are obese.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers an adult with a body mass index of 30 or higher obese.
The study says the increase could contribute to millions of new cases of diabetes, heart disease, and other obesity-related diseases by 2030, while health care costs could climb 19 percent.
