Military Feeling Effects of US Childhood Obesity Epidemic
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 19 May 2021 02:48 PM
The U.S. military is having trouble finding recruits that aren't too heavy to meet guidelines because of the growing childhood obesity rates across the country, so Army recruiters are working to identify potential soldiers who need to lose dozens of pounds before they can qualify to join the military.
"You're even recruiting in a population that is obese," retired Maj. Gen. Malcolm Frost, who served for 35 years in the Army and works with the nonprofit group "Mission Readiness" to prepare potential recruits, told NPR. "That's what our recruiters around the nation are dealing with."
According to the Department of Defense, a full third of young adults ages 17-24, the optimal age for recruits, are simply too heavy to sign up.
https://www.newsmax.com/us/military-obesity-health-recruiters/2021/05/19/id/1021998/
