Obesity on the rise in U.S.

New York -- Health experts are expressing concern that a weight-gaining trend revealed by a study could mean all Americans may be overweight or obese by mid-century.

The study, published in the journal Obesity, determined it is possible 86 percent of U.S. residents may be overweight or obese by 2030, ABC reported Saturday.

"By 2048, all American adults would become overweight or obese. The results of the study show clearly how the future situation might become if current trends continue," said Dr. Youfa Wang of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 66 percent of adults are overweight now.

Some experts doubt all Americans will be overweight, but agree obesity is a rising problem, the report said.

"It will never come to pass that all Americans are overweight, not even in 2048," said Keith-Thomas Ayoob of New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

"However, the other prediction of 86 percent by 2030 could very well happen."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.