The report says in South Carolina, 31.7% of adults are obese, and according to doctors, it's one of the most common conditions they see throughout the year. Doctors say we need to make a move from sick care to health care: encouraging people to live healthier lives.



"Unfortunately we see it once other complications have developed such as diabetes and hypertension," said Palmetto Health First Care Medical Director Dr. Stephen Izard. "The patient who comes in who's obese and has some minor illness, we encourage them to start exercising and eating more healthy. We do the same with those who are ill already with the complications of obesity. But I think if there's one thing we could change in this state to make the biggest impact and our health care costs would be eliminating obesity."



He said based on this recent study, bad health conditions are related to several factors, including income level. Izard said lower income levels often lead to higher obesity rates and health complications because of it, and vice-versa. The higher the income level, the less likely a person is to have problems.