Obesity in the Military

Military Obesity Threatens National Security

A recent study conducted by the American Security Project revealed a worrying trend in the U.S. military, with nearly 70% of American soldiers classified as overweight or obese. This has significant implications for our nation’s military readiness and national security.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to assess the weight status of the soldiers, with the “obese” category more than doubling over the past decade from 10.4% in 2012 to 21.6% in 2022. This alarming trend suggests that obesity is a significant issue that needs to be addressed urgently.

Obesity has long been a disqualifier for military applicants, with less than a quarter of Americans aged 17 to 24 qualifying both academically and physically for military service. This poses a significant challenge to the U.S. military, which has struggled mightily to meet enlistment goals in recent years.

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Smoking and Obesity

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Usually smoking and obesity don't go hand in hand but in this case, both cost the public in various ways especially in insurance premiums that we all have to bear.

As a pack of cigarettes cost $6.29, why does anyone smoke?  Yesterday there was an obese gal in front of me who was purchasing 4 packs of cigarettes.  She was trying to figure out which pack had the longer cigarette so that she could get that one extra puff. The total cost was astronomical and shocking. Not having smoked in 30 years, I have not been paying attention as to what has been happening in the tobacco industry.

"Annual health care costs are roughly $96 billion for smokers and $147 billion for the obese, the government says. These costs accompany sometimes heroic attempts to prolong lives, including surgery, chemotherapy and other measures.


Faced with the high cost of caring for smokers and overeaters, experts say society must grapple with a blunt question: Instead of trying to penalize them and change their ways, why not just let these health sinners die prematurely from their unhealthy habits?"

Read more... from the medical writer from the Associated Press.