According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 50 percent of people hospitalized for the flu this season were obese, USA TODAY reported.

As of Jan. 4 of this year, 46 percent of adults who were in the hospital for the flu were also obese. To be considered obese, your Body Mass Index (BMI) must be a 30 or higher. Height and weight are taken into account when measuring your BMI.

Zack Moore, a medical epidemiologist with the North Carolina Division of Public Health in Raleigh, North Carolina, said the rate of obese hospitalized patients is "a high number."

"In previous years it's usually in the 20s and 30% range," he added.

The CDC reported in it's weekly FluView report that the flu has shown up in every state, with widespread activity in 35 states -- up from 25 just one week ago.

Though the flu typically peaks in January and February, health officials say it's still not too late to get vaccinated. Though the vaccine is not fully in effect until two to three weeks, it builds immunity quickly.

As USA TODAY reports, the H1N1 flu strain of the flu -- which caused an international pandemic in 2009/2010 and resulted in an estimated 8,870 and 18,300 H1N1-related deaths -- is most common in the United States.

While children under the age of four and adults ages 65 and older are most likely to succumb to the flu, 61 percent of people hospitalized for it this season were between the ages of 18 and 61.

In addition to obesity, other underlying health issues like metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and asthma were reported with adults hospitalized for the flu.