WASHINGTON, Oct 13, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Forget about the high-tech military
challenges from China and Russia, the Pentagon is facing a fast-growing
national security threat that could be even trickier to tackle: America’s
obesity crisis.
A study released this week has found that nearly one-third of young
Americans are now too overweight to join up, a worrying statistic for
military officials already facing recruitment challenges.
“Obesity has long threatened our nation’s health. As the epidemic grows,
obesity is posing a threat to our nation’s security as well,” the Council for
a Strong America states in its new report. The Army last month announced it
would miss its goal of attracting 76,500 new recruits in 2018. The shortfall
is of about 6,500 soldiers — the first time since 2005 the service had
missed its hiring targets.
A strong US economy and tight jobs market played a role, but the numbers
highlight the dwindling pool of applicants the Pentagon has to draw from.
According to the Defense Department, obesity is one of the top reasons why
a stunning 71 percent of Americans aged 17-24 do not meet the military’s
sign-up requirements.
“Given the high percentage of American youth who are too overweight to
serve, recruiting challenges will continue unless measures are taken to
encourage a healthy lifestyle beginning at a young age,” states the study,
entitled “Unhealthy and Unprepared.”
Other factors such as prior drug use or a lack of academic qualifications
are also taking a toll. The report, compiled by a group of retired generals
and admirals, notes that the obesity issue is a particular worry as it comes
when fewer young people are interested in joining the military in the first
place.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a retired Marine general, last month said the
shrinking pool of Americans eligible to serve was a “big concern.”
“It’s a sad state of affairs when 71 percent of the 18 to 24-year-old males
in this country cannot qualify to enter the United States Army as a private,”
he said.
The problem should be addressed at the local level, he said, praising
efforts of retired service members who are working in schools “to try to
restore physical education where it’s been taken out, to try to get school
lunches to be things that fuel the body, instead of just giving them crummy
food.”
– ‘Pudgy soldiers’ –
The obesity problem persists even after boot camp.
According to retired Army major general Jeffrey Phillips, the military
spends more than $1.5 billion each year treating obesity-related health
conditions and filling positions vacated by unfit troops.
“I saw it myself: pudgy soldiers visibly pushing, or beyond, the ‘height
and weight’ standards,” Phillips wrote in a Military Times commentary.
The new report says the Pentagon has recognized the long-standing obesity
problem, and is taking steps to improve the health of its troops.
One Army program, known as the Performance Triad, “aims to improve soldier
readiness and encourage healthy behaviors, and to provide support to soldiers
in these areas.”
The Army has also introduced a new physical fitness test that measures the
likelihood recruits will go on to meet the physical demands of their selected
military job.
Many military facilities are equipped with top-notch gyms, and dining
facilities on US bases around the world often provide nutritional guidelines.
The report concludes that the solution lies in ensuring children and
parents learn about the vital importance of healthy eating and physical
activity from a young age.
“Basic training lasts weeks, but building strong troops takes years.
Encouraging healthy lifestyles early in life will help our nation prepare for
future challenges,” retired Air Force general Richard Myers said.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year found
that 2.2 billion people worldwide are believed to be overweight, and more
than one in 10 people are obese, fueling a global health crisis that claims
millions of lives every year.
Of the world’s most populous countries, the United States leads the way in
terms of obesity among children and young adults, at 13 percent.