Study projects rising obesity among Hoosiers - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

More than half of all Hoosiers will likely be considered obese in the next 20 years. A new study on "Obesity in Indiana" projects an obesity rate of 56 percent by 2030.

Possible side effects include 814,000 new cases of Type 2 diabetes, 1.7 million new cases of heart disease and stroke, and 244,000 new cases of obesity-related cancer.

Edward Palmer hopes he's not among those statistics. Palmer works out five days a week. With a strong family history of heart disease and diabetes, he's determined to keep his weight down.

"It runs in the family," he said. "We eat a lot of pasta and fatty foods."

His family is far from alone. The study says not only is America losing the battle of the bulge, but it's getting worse, especially for those in the Midwest.

The most recent numbers classify nearly 31% of all Hoosiers as obese, with Indiana tied with South Carolina for eighth fattest state in the nation. Jumping to 56% would be huge.

"I'm not surprised at the study. I have children. I know how easy it is to go thru a drive-thru," said Emily Gillum.

Gillum runs Market Street Produce in City Market. She sells all sorts of produce, salads and other "healthy foods," right alongside places selling savory yet high-calorie foods.

She said of her stand, "People seem to be happy with a healthy choice."

But even Gillum is sometimes tempted by the high-fat fare.

"When you have all these choices, it's easy to go, 'ooh' and I'm right next to it!" she said.

It's not always easy to eat healthy or get to the gym. But the price of not doing it is high.

The study says if waistlines continue to expand, new cases of cancer, heart disease and diabetes will continue to soar, costing Indiana tens of billions of dollars more in health care costs by 2030.

Karen Ogden, who runs the YMCA's downtown, is among those working hard to keep Hoosiers healthy. She, too, knows the challenges firsthand.

Ogden said she faces the same "stressful demands" of juggling work, family and tight schedules "and one thing can throw it all off, so absolutely, I've struggled with weight my whole life."

But she keeps at it, just like Palmer, who's lost too many family members at too young an age. He said of his commitment to health and fitness, "it can't be a fad like in the 1980s where everyone was wearing leg warmers. It has to be a lifestyle. You can't just go on a diet. You have to change the way you eat and find balance."

Check your body mass index here.