A new report by the US government warns that by 2030 almost half (42%) of Americans will be obese.

Conducted by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention the report used factors such as the cost of healthy and unhealthy food, fuel prices and Internet access to make their predictions.

The World Health Organization defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30. It is thought that if the report is correct and almost half of Americans are obese by 2030 the result will be an extra $550-billion dollars in health-care costs.

The concern comes as attempts to change the trend of increasing obesity have so far failed. Although taxing unhealthy food may provide some changes, there is a general consensus that change needs be throughout society, and targeted at children especially.