TaiidanTomcat Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/18/us/poor-fitness-in-military-poses-peril-report-says.html?partner=rss&emc=rss WASHINGTON — An increase in the number of overweight and out-of-shape service members who are unable to run long distances or perform physical tasks like push-ups poses a direct threat to the United States’ ability to defend itself, a group of retired military leaders fighting for improved childhood nutrition said Wednesday.The group, called Mission: Readiness, released a report that found that about 12 percent of active-duty service members were obese based on height and weight, a number that has risen 61 percent since 2002. The report said the extra weight cost the military about $1.5 billion annually in health care spending, as well as the expenses of replacing unfit soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen. Service members who are out of shape are unlikely to be able to carry heavy equipment or engage in the prolonged physical activity needed in combat, members of the group said. Continue reading the main story RELATED COVERAGE At War Blog: Is the Military Getting Soft?SEPT. 17, 2014 The report is the third released since 2010 by the group, which has tried to focus attention on obesity in the United States and its effect on the armed forces. While previous reports have focused on the military’s difficulty finding recruits fit enough to fight, Wednesday’s report was the first to bring attention to the impact of extra pounds on millions of active-duty service members. “This really is a problem that has gone unreported,” said Casey W. Coane, a retired Navy rear admiral and a member of Mission: Readiness. “And it is impacting our ability to defend this nation.” Some of the 450 retired generals and admirals who make up Mission: Readiness are visiting Capitol Hill to distribute the document and to lobby lawmakers in support of the Obama administration’s overhaul of school meals, first passed in 2012, which requires schools to serve more fruits and vegetables and less salt and sugar. In May, the House Appropriations Committee passed a spending bill that would allow school districts with lunch and breakfast programs operating at a loss to seek a one-year waiver on certain federal nutrition requirements. The full House is expected to take up the measure soon. Some schools sought waivers because food-service officials said the new nutrition rules were too costly to carry out. But Admiral Coane argued that the costs could be higher if Congress allowed schools to delay the rules. “We just can’t kick this can down the road for another year,” he said. “We have hundreds of young men and women with critical skills our military needs who can’t join because they are obese.” The Army is the heaviest branch, with nearly 16 percent of soldiers overweight, according to the most recent Defense Department health survey. The Navy is next, with almost 15 percent of sailors overweight. The Marine Corps had the smallest portion of service members who were overweight, 5 percent. More men were found to be overweight than women, 13.5 percent compared with 6.4 percent. Even service members engaged in combat situations were found to be overweight. One study of more than 2,000 men in an Army light-infantry brigade in Afghanistan found that 14 percent were obese. The overweight and slower runners in the brigade were 1.5 times more likely to be injured than their fitter counterparts, reports show. Active-duty service members must regularly pass fitness tests and weigh-ins, but many go on crash diets ahead of time and then gain back the weight. Enlisted service members who are overweight for their weigh-ins are given a chance to lose the weight, but if they do not, they are discharged. Consistently overweight officers are denied promotions and may be discharged as well. Author doesn't know the difference between "obese" and "overweight" which he wrongly uses interchangeably but still, thought it would be fun to give the doggies a hard time. All in good fun. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Army guys are just so jacked up that they fail the BMI test. Nothing to be worried about. If I could access a Hans & Franz GIF, I'd post it with the caption that the army will "pump you up"! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trigger Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 the army will "pump you up"! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grey Ghost 531 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Army guys are just so jacked up that they fail the BMI test. Nothing to be worried about. If I could access a Hans & Franz GIF, I'd post it with the caption that the army will "pump you up"! This is the shot that came to my mind: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Army guys are just so jacked up that they fail the BMI test. Nothing to be worried about. If I could access a Hans & Franz GIF, I'd post it with the caption that the army will "pump you up"! LOL I do agree with this in a way because I think they are using the BMI which is extremely arbitrary. However "forever Bulking" is not "Jacked up" BTW Edited September 19, 2014 by TaiidanTomcat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Army's been cleaning house with overweight Soldiers and those riding profiles. Easy cannon fodder for the purge going on right now. Senior NCOs are fixing themselves currently, but the real problem lies within the pool of recruits. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Only Mexico is fatter than the United States. Recruits only reflect what's happening in society. Ultimately the plague of obesity will be self-limiting, since obese people have markedly shorter life expectancy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Army's been cleaning house with overweight Soldiers and those riding profiles. Easy cannon fodder for the purge going on right now. Senior NCOs are fixing themselves currently, but the real problem lies within the pool of recruits. Are you saying the youth of America has a weight issue? I'm shocked. Fat parents churning out fat kids. It seems to be the way things are. All you have to do is swing by a local Taco Bell and you'll see them all bellying up to the line for their 3,000 calorie Gorditas. I can't find the link but I recall a Doonesbury comic where an Army recruiting Sgt spends time on the phone with the perfect candidate. Kid is 110% into signing up. He then walks into the recruiter's office, weighing around 300 lbs. Recruiter cries.. Edited September 19, 2014 by 11bee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 Is Navy or Marine? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Look at the boots Edited September 19, 2014 by fulcrum1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Only Mexico is fatter than the United States. Recruits only reflect what's happening in society. Ultimately the plague of obesity will be self-limiting, since obese people have markedly shorter life expectancy. The problem is that shorter life expectancy is still enough time to spawn little future obese people. and After taking more than their fair share of medical attention before hand of course. If it was a matter of just being obese and dying that would be sweet. However as you know it adds medical complication, expense, and of course when things go wrong thanks to extra difficulty level, they sue. They sue doctors, they sue hospitals, they sue nurses.(<--but you know this better than I) they give birth to unhealthy kids, then teach the unhealthy lifestlye. Since the average age of military guy or gal is about 19-23, them dying early on at 50 through "self limiting" doesn't help. and worse yet, those that are dying young are being replaced and even expanded. Ha! Suck it Mexico! Edited September 19, 2014 by TaiidanTomcat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Look at the boots Navy wearing marine uniform includes boots... http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2012/07/we-have-made-friends/120706-f-ga223-005/ guy on Ground is Marine, Guy on knee is Navy Corpsman. (long story short you can't tell unless you can see his name tape or ranks up front) Edited September 19, 2014 by TaiidanTomcat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Navy wearing marine uniform includes boots... http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2012/07/we-have-made-friends/120706-f-ga223-005/ guy on Ground is Marine, Guy on knee is Navy Corpsman. (long story short you can't tell unless you can see his name tape or ranks up front) Corpsman and chappies don't count of which I doubt this dude is either...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 Corpsman and chappies don't count of which I doubt this dude is either...... There is a 5 percent chance according to the article Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 There is a 5 percent chance according to the article hahaha, touché Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 Dependapotamos!! PSA ^^ BE AWARE SOLDIERS AT FT. BRAG Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Ultimately the plague of obesity will be self-limiting, since obese people have markedly shorter life expectancy. That's not actually true. Only the very highest levels of obesity are associated with lower life expectancy - similar to what you see from underweight people. Those who are overweight or have low level obesity have the highest live expectancy. And hey, maybe for some jobs it's better. A bit of cushion can help in truck or helicopter crashes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vince14 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 And hey, maybe for some jobs it's better. A bit of cushion can help in truck or helicopter crashes. It'll certainly help you live longer when immersed in cold water... Vince Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 It'll certainly help you live longer when immersed in cold water... Vince May not be quite as useful when you are running up a hill in full gear after coming under fire. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Exhausted Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Hey don't slam our corpsman like that. They take damn good care of us. Who else can sling as much Motrin for everything up to detached limbs? But this next guy really motivates me because you can tell he's trying... Edited September 19, 2014 by Exhausted Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toadwbg Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Waiting for Sir-Mix-A-Lot to show up here... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wright2626 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 thought that was the future army, a bunch of pimple faced kids sitting in trailers(with oversize wheels to support it) playing "war" video games, flying the drones while eating chips and drinking cokes. sorry, we cant afford more bombs to drop, the "pilots" need more twinkies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 This is the shot that came to mind. Yes, as soon as I saw the title on the thread I thought someone bumped the old one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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