Childhood obesity: A threat to national security | TheHill

Childhood obesity: A threat to national security | TheHill: According to a recent Mission Readiness study, “Retreat is not an Option,” nearly 70 percent of 17-24 year olds in America are ineligible to join the armed forces, and the most prevalent reason is that potential recruits are overweight. Today, young Americans are now, on average, 20 pounds heavier than they were 45 years ago.
Major General Allen Batschelet, Commander of the Army Recruiting Command, recently called the U.S. obesity epidemic “a national security issue”, noting that by 2020, 50 percent of otherwise eligible individuals will not qualify for service due to their weight, leaving the military unable to meet recruitment goals.