Scrutinizing the Reservists' Weight Conundrum: A Brisk Action by Defense Secretary Hegseth
Military leader pledges tough action against obesity in forces following startling Reserve and Guard study findings
Welcome to the trenches, folks! The Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, is kickstarting a revolution - a revolution against obesity among our Reserve and Guard troops. It's called the "No More Walking On Eggshells" policy.
Here's the skinny: a whopping 68% of reserve forces are overweight, according to a report by the American Security Project (ASP). This isn't just bad news for their health, it's a potential ticking time bomb for our military readiness.
Are you ready for some tough love? Here's what Hegseth had to say on the matter: "Completely unacceptable. This is what happens when standards are IGNORED – and this is what we are changing." Expect real fitness and weight standards with our new crew, not some flabby, outdated nonsense. We're gunning for lean, mean, fighting machines!
The ASP's study unmasked the risks these overweight troops face. Obesity can lead to a slew of serious health issues, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and osteoarthritis, potentially causing life-threatening events like stroke and heart failure.
Previous research from ASP has shown a similar rate of obesity among active forces, using the controversial Body Mass Index (BMI) scale. But for our reserve troops, who juggle day jobs and civilian lives, adopting the same uniform approach to tackle this issue may not be the solution.
Hegseth is pulling no punches, taking a hard stance against this crisis. He launched a review of grooming and physical fitness standards last month, aiming to tighten those standards and questioning whether mismatched standards for men and women could be hampering readiness.
The review is expected to scrutinize existing standards set by the Military Departments, encompassing physical fitness, body composition, and grooming. The memo even hinted at examining recent changes since 2015.
Way back when, Hegseth recounted in his book "The War on Warriors", the Army would boot out soldiers with woman tattooed on their arms. These days, though, things have become lax with accommodations for recruits who fail physical fitness tests, offering pre-boot camp training. But the catch is, they still need to meet the same standards to graduate and serve.
Hegseth's no-nonsense approach is making waves. Tune in for more updates on this evolving situation, folks!
- Defense Secretary Hegseth aims to address the alarming obesity rate among Reserve and Guard troops, instituting the "No More Walking On Eggshells" policy to promote health and fitness.
- The American Security Project (ASP) report revealed that 68% of reserve forces are overweight, posing not only a health risk but also a potential threat to military readiness due to obesity-related health issues such as osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease.
- Hegseth is pushing for stricter physical fitness and weight standards, emphasizing the need for lean, mean, fighting machines instead of allowing outdated, flabby standards.
- The ASP's previous research in active forces also pointed to a high rate of obesity through the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale, but Hegseth acknowledges that a one-size-fits-all approach might not be effective for reserve troops who balance day jobs and civilian lives.
- As part of his review, Hegseth is examining existing physical fitness, body composition, and grooming standards, as well as questioning any potential gender disparities in standards that may be hindering readiness. Science, health, and wellness, fitness, and exercise, weight management, politics, and defense will all be focal points in this upcoming change.
