A 2018 Rand study highlighted the prevalence of sleep deprivation and the use of sleeping medication among service members. (Senior Airman Cliffton Dolezal/Air Force)
Military Times: A staggering number of troops are fat and tired, report says
A 2018 RAND report on health promotion and disease prevention has painted a grim picture of the military’s physical fitness and sleep standards.
The study, featuring roughly 18,000 randomly selected participants across each of the service branches, showed that almost 66 percent of service members are considered to be either overweight or obese, based on the military’s use of body mass index as a measuring standard.
While the number of overweight service members is a cause for concern, it correlates with the obesity epidemic plaguing the United States, where, as of 2015, one in three young adults are considered too fat to enlist, creating a difficult environment for recruiters to find suitable candidates for military service.
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WNU Editor: 66 percent of service members are considered to be either overweight or obese ?!?!?!? Wow. The report uses data from 3 years ago, but you have to wonder if it has gotten worse. The RAND report is here .... 2015 Health Related Behaviors Survey (RAND).
8 comments:
I've never seen a fat soldier. I also know the military's body mass index is shit. At my height 6'3", I had trouble enlisting because of my weight. 250lbs. If I were able to to post a picture here, I'd show you guys i was clearly not fat. Nor was I overly bulked in muscle. I was fit. They wanted me at 190lbs if I remember correctly, and I remember thinking how I would have been anorexic trying to meet their standards. I physically did not have 60 lbs to lose. So I didnt even bother.
I'm skeptical of these numbers as well. With that said even if this report is only 1/10 accurate, after all there is ample evidence that these men and women are badly worn down as is the equipment and the training has suffered as well, it is yet another nail in the proverbial coffin of the myth that the US military is some sort of superpower.
Plenty of fat U.S soldiers out there and it’s a problem. Canucks I will admit are in much better shape but the chances of being kicked out of service are exponentially higher if not kept in check.
Poster
If you do not believe the Rand report, can you show us what makes you a disbeliever?
Fred,
For starters, I'm skeptical of the 66% number for for pretty much the same reason Mr. Day appears to expresses skepticism. I have known a large number of soldiers including combat veterans and have never seen an overweight one among those who are not retited.
Even if this was not the case, very respectfully we could apply common sense. Combat duty is among the most demanding of endeavors on earth and due to the extraordinary demands placed on the American military service in the US military is even more demanding than that of military service in most countries. If someone is overweight, performing these duties is going to be problematic and probably impossible.
As I have discussed elsewhere, I was unable to serve in the military due to poor eyesight. A number of my friends and family members did. Many of them had the same issues with regards to the body mass index that Mr. Day experienced. As such, I have it from very reliable sources that his colorful metaphor describing this situation is 100% accurate.
If this story is 100% accurate, the US military and us are in even worse shape than I thought. A military where 66% of its personnel are overweight is obviously not going to be in any position to go toe to toe with major military powers like Russia or China. In fact, winning a conflict with even a mid power would be problematic at best, definitely not a good idea to pick fights with the likes of Russia or China especially ones we don't need nor advance any legitimate American interests.
As stated, I'd estimate based upon my direct experience and substantial secondary knowledge and experience that the report is 10% accurate. Even so that would be plenty bad enough without any need to sensationalize. Due to time constraints I haven't had time to read the article. I will try and do so shortly.
The editor, in his comments, has a sound track record for accuracy. As such, I'm assuming the 66% figure is properly cited. In actuality, that number falls into the category of extraordinary claim and extraordinary clains require extraordinary proof especially when they run contrary to common sense as this clearly does.
I read the article. I'm still skeptical. Perhaps they are misusing the bmi measure to arrive at such inflated numbers and as I know how this measure as used in the military is often crap. In fact, the inaccuracy of this measure was a running joke among a number of my friends and family members who served. In fact, some of the stories that were relayed to me indicated that even some of those in charge of taking the measurements recognized the limitations in how the military was using the number.
When I was 18 and arrived at my full height of 6' 2", I weighed about 180 pounds. After I really hit the weights in college and muscled up, my weight was 220 pounds. According to some standards, I was obese, but I could wrestle three other "fit" guys into submission, while holding a 4th guy at bay.
They need some purvatin.
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