Pentagon announces new way military will measure troops’ body fat
To pass the new standards, a service member’s waist measurement can be only slightly more than half of their height.
Jeff Schogol
Published Jan 12, 2026 5:26 PM EST
The Pentagon has released its implementing guidance for using the waist-to-height ratio to calculate service members’ body composition.
The Pentagon has released its implementing guidance for using the waist-to-height ratio to calculate service members’ body composition. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Tylon Chapman.
The Pentagon is officially ditching height and weight tables in favor of using a waist-to-height ratio to estimate troops’ body fat, according to an official memo released on Monday. And to pass, a service member’s waist measurement can be only slightly more than half of their height.
The method will divide the measurement of a service member’s waist circumference by their height to estimate body fat percentage.
The new body fat standards are between 18% and 26% for men and between 26% and 36% for women, according to a Dec. 18 memo from Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata that was provided by the Defense Department on Monday.
Troops in every military branch will get two measurements each year, according to the memo, a version of which began circulating on social media in December.
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