A new forecast on obesity in America has health experts fearing a dramatic jump in health care costs if nothing is done to bring it under control.

The projection, released Monday, warns that 42% of Americans may end up obese by 2030 up from 36% in 2010, and 11% could be severely obese, roughly 100 or more pounds over a healthy weight vs. 6% in 2010.

“If nothing is done, its going to hinder efforts for health care cost containment,” says Justin Trogdon, a research economist with RTI International, a non-profit organization in North Carolinas Research Triangle Park.

Extra weight takes a significant toll on health. It increases the risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, many types of cancer, sleep apnea and other debilitating and chronic illnesses.

“The obesity problem is likely to get much worse without a major public health intervention,” says the studys lead researcher, Eric Finkelstein, a health economist with the Duke University Global Health Institute.

In an earlier study, Finkelstein and experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that medical-related costs of obesity may be as high as $147 billion a year, or roughly 9% of medical expenditures.

Obesity could affect 42% of Americans by 2030 – USATODAY.com