A group campaigning against obesity predicts that by 2030 more than half the people in 39 states will be obese — not merely overweight, but obese, according to The Associated Press.

Mississippi is expected to retain its crown as the fattest state in the nation for at least two more decades. The report predicts 67 percent of that state's adults will be obese by 2030; that would be an astounding increase from Mississippi's current 35 percent obesity rate.

The new projections were released Tuesday, Sept 18, by Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The two organizations regularly report on obesity to raise awareness, and they rely on government figures.

But in this case, their dismal forecast goes beyond the 42 percent national obesity level that federal health officials project by 2030.

About two-thirds of Americans are overweight now. That includes those who are obese, a group that accounts for about 36 percent. Obesity rates have been holding steady in recent years.

The researchers’ outlook suggests that even in the thinnest state — Colorado, where about one-fifth of residents are obese — 45 percent are predicted to be obese by 2030. That means that every state would have an obesity rate higher than 44 percent.

By 2030, medical costs from treating obesity-related diseases are likely to increase by $48 billion, to $66 billion per year, according to the study.