According to a recent report, 42 percent of Americans are projected to be obese by the year 2030, with 11 percent of adults close to a full 100 pounds overweight.
And we don't have to wait until then for the problem to reach epidemic levels -- today, more than one in three Americans is obese.
Recently, the four-part HBO documentary "Weight Of The Nation," shed light on the issue, and today ABC's daytime talk show "The View" featured an hour-long special on America's weight problem, which they titled "The Fat Show."
"A lot of people cringed when we told them we were calling it the fat show," co-host Barbara Walters shared in the opening discussion. "Is there a problem using the word fat?"
Guest co-host Paula Deen, who recently revealed her diabetes diagnosis and a 30-pound weight loss, says yes. "Fat is a hard word," she shared. "It hurts."
But no matter what you call it, the show delved into the complexities of the issue, with a combination of real people with weight struggles and leading experts, including "Weight of the Nation" expert Dr. Samuel Klein, Jamie Oliver (who just celebrated Food Revolution Day) and Dr. Mehmet Oz.
"Obesity really represents the dark side of a modern and advanced society," Klein said on the show. "We have an excessive amount of available food and a decreased need to be physically active."
And, he adds, "It doesn't take a lot of calories to really gain a lot of weight." In fact, he points out that eating just one extra Lifesaver a day over the course of a year can add up to a whole pound.
"There's almost no organ system in the body that's not adversely affected by having excess body fat," he said.
Another guest, identified as Elana, lost 108 pounds and was also featured on "Weight of the Nation."
"Support is a key component to this process," she said. "You can't do this alone, and you shouldn't be expected to do this alone."
To watch the whole discussion, hop over to ABC -- above, check out Dr. Oz explaining to the co-hosts what happens to your organs when you have excess weight.