Nearly seven in 10 U.S. service members are considered overweight or obese, potentially compromising the country’s military readiness and undermining national security, according to a wide-ranging new study.
The American Security Project, a Washington-based nonprofit, found that 68% of U.S. troops qualified as “overweight” or “obese” based on the Body Mass Index, which takes into account age, height and weight of a person.
It also found that the number of troops in the “obese” category has more than doubled over the past decade: from 10.4% in 2012 to 21.6% last year.
The trend poses a “serious threat,” according to the report released last week.
“To ensure the long-term strength and operability of the military, the services must decisively and cohesively address obesity within their ranks, maintain robust body composition standards, and align health policies with evidence-based recommendations,” says the report.
“Identifying, diagnosing and treating obesity among soldiers on the front lines of our national defense may ultimately determine the long-term survival of the force.
“It may not be easy, but we should have done it a long time ago.”
A wide-ranging new study found that nearly 70% of U.S. military personnel are “overweight” or “obese” based on body mass index. AFP via Getty Images
Currently, each branch of the United States military has its own “minimum body composition standards” that recruits must meet, and obesity is the leading disqualifying factor for military applicants and a “major contributor to in-service injuries.” and to medical discharges” at a time when the US military is struggling to recruit new members, according to the study.
Less than a quarter of Americans ages 17 to 24 qualify both academically and physically for military service, according to Pentagon data obtained by Stars and Stripes.
In April, Gen. Randy A. George, then Army chief of staff, and Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, vice chief of naval operations, told members of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee that the Army, Navy and Air Force will not attack their enlistment goals this year.
The Army fell about 15,000 soldiers (or about 25%) short of its recruiting goal in 2022, but was able to improve the situation in fiscal year 2023, ending almost 55,000 recruiting contracts, according to Roll Call.
But the Air Force and Navy did not fare so well.
The Air Force had tried to recruit 26,877 new airmen in 2023, but fell short by almost 2,700 people, while the Navy fell short of its goal of 37,700 new sailors for 7,450 recruits.
The American Security Project also found that the number of troops in the “obese” category has more than doubled over the past decade: from 10.4% in 2012 to 21.6% last year.
The American Security Project now recommends that the Department of Defense scrap its policies that allow commanders to exempt obese troops from medical intervention and revise body compensation regulations.
He also suggested referring obese troops to appropriate doctors for treatment, producing more frequent military reports on obesity, and including BMI figures in recruitment and retention reports sent to Congress.
“By conducting appropriate obesity screening, the military services can develop proactive measures to address obesity,” the report says.
“Early screening for obesity-related health conditions, such as prediabetes and high cholesterol, is associated with sustained weight loss, better health outcomes, and reduced cost burden on healthcare systems.”
The report goes on to state that obesity “is not a moral failing; It’s a health crisis,” as he maintains that the military should not try to penalize soldiers who have gained weight.
The American Securities Project recommends in a report released last week that the military no longer punish soldiers who have gained weight and instead refer them to a doctor.American Security Project
“Framing obesity as an issue of a lack of willpower or discipline prevents soldiers from seeking and receiving treatment, makes commanders and health care workers less willing to intervene, and worsens health outcomes across the services,” he says. .
Under current practices, a service member who fails the “tape test” may be ordered to participate in a recovery program to increase his exercise and adjust his diet, with the consequence that he may be involuntarily discharged. if you cannot lose weight, according to the Armed Forces. Times.
But the report’s author, Courtney Manning, said the military should send overweight soldiers to a doctor to examine what factors might be contributing to their weight and whether other health problems are developing as a result.
The change in attitude comes months after the American Medical Association updated its policies on body mass index, acknowledging “historical harm” and “racist exclusion” because “BMI is based primarily on data collected from previous generations of non-Hispanic whites.”
Its new policy urges doctors to use BMI as a single measure of body composition, along with other valid measures of risk, such as visceral fat, body composition and waist circumference, as well as genetic and metabolic factors.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn