Someone asks: How can our chubby, drug-addled and right-on Army protect us (Americans) from our enemies?
Obesity rates among active-duty service members doubled in the past decade.
But antiquated policies and incomplete data have complicated efforts to combat the trend, as a new report from the American Security Project reveals.
In line with that, military obesity rates across the active duty jumped from 10.4 percent in 2012 to 21.6 percent in 2022, according to the study.
The findings of the study were released on Oct. 12, 2023.
Experts say that this mirrors a national trend that has shrunk the military’s recruitment pool and led to billions of dollars in associated health care costs.
Today, 68 percent of active-duty service members are either overweight or obese. furthermore, eating disorders in the military increased by approximately 79 percent between 2017 and 2021, according to the report.
It is stated that obesity in the U.S. and the military is nothing new. However, the seemingly rapid increase in the rate of overweight troops could renew concerns over military readiness, as obesity is a primary contributor to in-service injuries and medical discharges.
Furthermore, the report found that the military’s inconsistent use of body mass index (BMI) data and social stigmas surrounding the treatment of obesity are hampering efforts to combat the problem nowadays.
According to the report, the armed forces should treat obesity as a chronic disease. That seems to be one major way to combat the issue.