Military obesity report: Most young Americans still too fat to fight
Boston scientists claim a naturally occurring hormone may help people stay fit without exercise and help lower obesity rates.
A new report says most young Americans are still too fat to fight in the military.
High-calorie, low-nutrient junk food is to blame for one in four young adults weighing too much to join the US armed services, according to the report released Tuesday by the advocacy group Mission: Readiness.
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Tacked onto that is the $1 billion the US Department of Defense spends each year on medical care related to obesity issues for active duty members, their dependents and veterans, CNN reported.
Group members say our weight more than a national health issue. It's a national security issue.
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"At the end of the day, it's not our aircrafts, our tanks, our ships or our information technology that keep our nation safe and sound, it's the men and women who wear the uniform and so proudly serve," retired Air Force Lt. Gen. and group spokesman Norman Seip told the Detroit Free Press.
Mission: Readiness believes the answer lies within America's school system.
The group has been working since 2010 to replace junk food in schools with healthier options in the cafeteria and in vending machines in an effort to lower childhood obesity rates, USA Today reported.