Half of U.S. obese by 2030: 4 things you can do today

Courtesy of Trust for America's Health

Obesity rates around the world, for children and adults, are on the rise. And a recent study suggests that if we don’t do something soon, half of all U.S. adults will be obese by 2030.

The reality is: today, half-a-billion adults are obese and 170 million children are considered overweight or obese. Unfortunately, if current trends continue, the number of obese adults will jump from 99 million to 164 million by 2030 in the U.S. alone. But it’s not just in the U.S. – researches expect an increase from 15 million to 26 million in the U.K. as well.

A rise in obesity rates like this also means obesity-related diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke will go up – which will likely lead to even higher health care costs.

But there are things ways to prevent these trends from continuing. While some are proposing taxes on junk food and subsidies on produce, here are just a few things you can do now to help your family stay fit and healthy:

1. Learn about calories in vs calories burned with this calculator
2. Find out about which foods to increase, decrease and how to balance calories with myplate.gov
3. Help your kids learn about good nutrition and healthy eating now
4. Start an exercise plan for the whole family with these 5 tips to help you get moving