A research team estimates that about one in two U.S. adults will be obese within the next decade, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine Thursday.

The team, composed of researchers from GW and Harvard University, found that the prevalence of obesity will be at least 35 percent in all 50 states, with rates exceeding 50 percent in 29 states. About 25 percent of the U.S. population will have severe obesity – generally defined as a body mass index of 40 or higher – by 2030, according to the study.

The authors predict that severe obesity will likely become the most common body mass index category among women, non-Hispanic black adults and low-income adults.

“Our analysis indicates that the prevalence of adult obesity and severe obesity will continue to increase nationwide, with large disparities across states and demographic subgroups,” the authors said in the study.

The team obtained body mass index data self-reported by about 6,300,000 adults who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, a survey designed to measure the presence of health-related risk behaviors among U.S. adults.

The researchers measured data from 57,131 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a survey that assesses Americans’ health and nutritional statuses, to correct for self-reporting bias, because people tend to underestimate their weight.

The research team received funding from the JPB Foundation, an organization that supports medical research, environmental advocacy work and anti-poverty programs.