Nearly 70% of American soldiers are obese or overweight — compromising national security: study

Nearly seven out of 10 US service members are considered either overweight or obese — which may compromise the nation’s military readiness and undermine national security, according to a new wide-ranging study.

The American Security Project, a Washington-based nonprofit, found that 68% of US troops qualified as either “overweight” or “obese” under the Body Mass Index, which takes into account a person’s age, height and weight.

It also determined that the number of troops in the “obese” category have more than doubled over the course of the past decade — from 10.4% in 2012, to 21.6% last year.

The trend poses a “dire threat,” according to the report released last week.

“To ensure the long-term strength and operability of the armed forces, services must decisively and cohesively address obesity within their ranks, maintain strong body composition standards and bring health policies in line with evidence-based recommendations,” the report says.

“Identifying, diagnosing and treating obesity within soldiers at the front lines of our national defense may ultimately determine the long-term survival of the force.

“It may not be easy, but it is long overdue.”

Each branch of the United States military currently has its own “minimum body composition standards” that recruits must meet — and obesity is the leading disqualifier of military applicants and a “primary contributor to in-service injuries and medical discharges” at a time when the US military is struggling to recruit new members, according to the study.

Less than a quarter of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 qualify both academically and physically for military service, according to Pentagon data obtained by Stars and Stripes.

In April, Gen. Randy A George — then the Army’s chief of staff — and Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, vice chief of naval operations, told members of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee that the Army, Navy and Air Force will not hit their enlistment goals this year.

The Army fell about 15,000 soldiers — or about 25% — short of its recruitment goal in 2022, but was able to improve on the situation in fiscal year 2023, ending with nearly 55,000 recruiting contracts, according to Roll Call.

But the Air Force and Navy did not fare as well. 

The Air Force had sought to recruit 26,877 new airmen in 2023, but fell short by nearly 2,700 people, while the Navy missed its goal of 37,700 new sailors by 7,450 recruits.

The American Security Project now recommends that the Defense Department scraps its policies that allow commanders to exempt obese troops from medical intervention and reviews body compensation regulations.

It also suggested referring obese troops to appropriate physicians for treatment, producing more frequent military obesity reports and including BMI figures in recruiting and retention reports sent to Congress.

“By adequately screening for obesity, military services can develop proactive measures to address obesity,” the report says.

“Early screenings for obesity-related health conditions, such as prediabetes and high cholesterol, are associated with sustained weight loss, better health outcomes and a lower cost burden on healthcare systems.”

The report goes on to claim that obesity “isn’t a moral failing; it’s a health crisis,” as it argues that the military should not seek to penalize soldiers who have gained weight.

“Framing obesity as an issue of insufficient willpower or discipline prevents soldiers from seeking and receiving treatment, makes commanders and healthcare workers less inclined to intervene, and worsens health outcomes across the services,” it says.

Under current practices, a service member who fails their “tape test” may be ordered into a remedial program to increase their exercise and adjust their diet — with the consequence that they can be involuntarily discharged if they fail to lose weight, according to the Military Times.

But report author Courtney Manning said the military should instead send overweight soldiers to a doctor to examine what factors might be contributing to their weight, and whether any other health issues are developing as a result.

The change in attitude comes months after the American Medical Association updated its policies on Body Mass Index, acknowledging “historical harm” and “racist exclusion” because “BMI is based primarily on data collected from previous generations of non-Hispanic whites.”

Its new policy urges doctors to use BMI as just one measure of body composition —  in conjunction with other valid measures of risk such as visceral fat, body composition and waist circumference, as well as genetic and metabolic factors.