By Cassie Hataway | email
LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - Only a decade ago, no state in America had more than a 20% obesity rate, but a new report out Wednesday takes a state-by-state look at obesity and finds that every state, except Colorado, is at 20% or more. It is even worse for kids: in most states, almost a third of the kids are already obese or overweight.
Experts warn that when overweight Baby Boomers begin flooding the medical system with obesity related diseases, and with Medicare already on the brink of bankruptcy, the future could be grim.
"Add to that the fact that the latest evidence suggests that people with obesity have healthcare costs that are 20-30% higher than people who aren't obese and you've got the makings for an even more severe financial challenge", says Mark McClellan, former Medicare Administrator. Part of President Obama's pitch for health reform Wednesday was to encourage Congress to make obesity a national priority.
To check out Texas's, and other states', rankings, Click Here.
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