News
2012 F as in Fat Report Released
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) have released F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Health, the ninth edition of the annual report that examines the state of obesity in the United States.
For the first time, the report includes an analysis that forecasts 2030 adult obesity rates in each state—all 50 states could have rates above 44 percent, with 39 states above 50 percent and 13 above 60 percent— and the likely resulting rise in obesity-related disease rates and health care costs—an additional $48 billion to $66 billion per year in the United States, with a loss in economic productivity between $390 billion and $580 billion annually by 2030.
By contrast, if states could reduce the average body mass index (BMI) of residents by just 5 percent by 2030, every state could help thousands or millions of people avoid obesity-related diseases, while saving billions of dollars in health care costs. The report also features a series of joint policy recommendations from TFAH and RWJF, including full implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, protection of the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund, and inclusion of additional physical education and activity components in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Read the full report at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.
