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 Defence Department, obesity is one of the top reasons why a stunning 71 per cent 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. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, a retired Marine general, last month said the shrinking pool of Americans eligible to serve was a “big concern”.
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 is taking steps to improve the health of its troops. One Army programme, known as the Performance Triad, “aims to improve soldier readiness and encourage healthy behaviours, and to provide support to soldiers in these areas.” — AFP
Thomas Watkins
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