A Third Of US Young Adults Not Eligible For Military Recruiting Due To Obesity

[IronFist17]

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/6...le-for-military-recruiting-due-to-obesity.htm
Wow. I didn't know there are so many obese people in America. That's just shameful. Our country has a long military tradition and it should not end this way. I guess kids should be forced to go to gyms or at least participate in physical activities more; it will help them a lot in future. People should care more about their health in general. Mens sana in corpore sano.

 

[Subyman]

FWIW, if they are truly committed to wanting to serve then the recruitment centers will work with them to get them into shape. Do schools even require PE anymore?

 

[Victorian Gray]

from 2012

"In its biennial survey of high school students across the nation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in June that nearly half said they had no physical education classes in an average week. In New York City, that number was 20.5 percent, compared with 14.4 percent a decade earlier, according to the C.D.C."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/e...ity-physical-education-is-sidelined.html?_r=0

 

[IronWing]

As a country, we have to do a better job raising cannon fodder.

 

[Jaskalas]

As a country, we have to do a better job raising cannon fodder.

Or just decent human beings.

 

[IronWing]

Or just decent human beings.

That's a lot harder, costs too much.

 

[Blackjack200]

If you're obese they will sign you up and feed you salad at boot camp.

 

[bradly1101]

Police departments are obvious and evident fall-backs for these folks; you still get the hope of shooting at people who look and act differently than you.

 

[Ancalagon44]

How dare the military shame fat people like that?

 

[Matthiasa]

Isn't 33% the amount they wont take just do to that being the value of the population they decided they didn't want? There is always a set value for that which means the target values change with time.

 

[IGBT]

all that industrial fast food sets them up for early death anyway. Die in service or on the couch..dead is dead.

 

[Nebor]

Isn't 33% the amount they wont take just do to that being the value of the population they decided they didn't want? There is always a set value for that which means the target values change with time.

Usually the numbers that I hear USAREC throw around is 10% of the population is eligible due to medical, weight, intelligence and prior criminal conviction, but only around 1% of the total population wind up in the military.

This isn't the end of the world. Salaries and benefits will be increased to attract fit personnel if necessary.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

all that industrial fast food sets them up for early death anyway. Die in service or on the couch..dead is dead.

Or it could be that over time Americans (especially kids) have become less and less physically active as technology and the internet has taken root in their lives and made them less likely go outside. Which is only exacerbate if they don't eat healthy. In other words even if a person eats healthy and consumes a moderate amount of calories (that would normally be burned off via moderate or mild exercise or physical activity) if they spend all their day being sedentary then chances are they are going to gain weight no matter what they eat.

 

[unokitty]

 

[Anubis]

when the majority of company's stop treating employees like slaves who work 60+ hours a week , people will have time to work out instead of just eat and crash when they get home

 

[cabri]

when the majority of company's stop treating employees like slaves who work 60+ hours a week , people will have time to work out instead of just eat and crash when they get home

Most do not do this.

 

[Tombstone1881]

Some of the blame should go to the politicians who cut education funding to the point to where many schools don't have an athletic program any more, and pretty much all schools have had PE cut for years now.

 

[PokerGuy]

Some of the blame should go to the politicians who cut education funding to the point to where many schools don't have an athletic program any more, and pretty much all schools have had PE cut for years now.

Cut education funding? Do you realize that we spend more per capita on education than most other countries? Perhaps we need to examine how the money is spent etc, but it is definitely not a "ebil politicians cut funding to the bone, there's no money left to do anything!!" issue.

 

[cabri]

Some of the blame should go to the politicians who cut education funding to the point to where many schools don't have an athletic program any more, and pretty much all schools have had PE cut for years now.

Does the community have the authorization to increase funding for education?

 

[Fenixgoon]

Cut education funding? Do you realize that we spend more per capita on education than most other countries? Perhaps we need to examine how the money is spent etc, but it is definitely not a "ebil politicians cut funding to the bone, there's no money left to do anything!!" issue.

and perhaps parents need to do their goddamn job. educators get paid shit as it is- there isn't much else you can cut unless you cut administrative positions (of which anecdotally there are way too many).

 

[Subyman]

How dare the military shame fat people like that?

Yeah! Military should be inclusive and an emotional safe zone. *barf*

 

[Subyman]

Most do not do this.

Wouldn't be P&N without hyperbole.

 

[Brainonska511]

Is this going to be another post-and-run by the OP?

 

[JockoJohnson]

Cut education funding? Do you realize that we spend more per capita on education than most other countries? Perhaps we need to examine how the money is spent etc, but it is definitely not a "ebil politicians cut funding to the bone, there's no money left to do anything!!" issue.

How dare you point that out! It is only fair to point out what other countries spend when it comes to medical care. There can never be too much money in education.

 

[Mai72]

Some of the blame should go to the politicians who cut education funding to the point to where many schools don't have an athletic program any more, and pretty much all schools have had PE cut for years now.

I totally disagree.

Most of the blame needs to be put on the families for not developing healthy habits. If public schools were to have healthy lunches, what do you think those children would do when they got home? Would they a) continue to eat healthy, do their homework and go to sleep at a decent hour or b) Turn on their Xbox One or PS4, vegetate in front of the TV for hours and pound large quantities of junk food and sugary drinks.

I'm going to go with b.