Home > Talk of East Texas > Archives > 2009 > January > 30 > Entry
Obesity rate in Texas set to triple, study says
Nearly 15 million Texas adults will be obese by 2040 — almost triple the current number — if the state does not strengthen prevention efforts, according to new data from the state demographer.
It’s a trend experts say is alarming because obesity leads to other health problems — and it’s expensive.
“The consequences for our state if we don’t do anything are going to be profound,” state demographer Karl Eschbach said. “This is a projection that I sincerely hope is wrong.”
Thursday’s forecast — which shows the percentage of Texas adults who are obese increasing from 27.9 percent to 42.6 percent in 2040 — came two days after Gov. Rick Perry called on lawmakers to tackle obesity through an incentive-based fitness program for children.
A Longview school official agrees that physical fitness for children should be a priority.
How should the state help curtail the obesity epidemic?
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