Posted on Feb 8, 2015
WO1 Electronic Missile Systems Maintenance Warrant Officer
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Recently, I have noticed more and more services members who seem to be a little larger than normal. Being in Hawaii, we have all branches within a close proximity. I can not just pinpoint on one branch out of tolerance, but all. For one, it's upholding a standard and placing a display to the civilian population. No one wants someone to defend our country who defends burger king more or who's uniform is as tight as spandex around the waist. As a master fitness, I can physically help them burn calories, but I can not control their diets once they go home. Even the DFAC is not the best. Not saying everyone should be super fit, just we should be able to stop what is in the picture below before it happens. My question to the community is should the military be more strict on their standards? Should it be one standard across the board? Should there be less popeyes and burger kings on installations? What are your thoughts on this?
Posted in these groups: Imgres Physical TrainingChecklist icon 2 Standards
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Responses: 55
COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM
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I think the Army's standards for height/weight and physical fitness are about right. There may be improvements that can be made to the standards or betting discipline in uniformaly applying the standards across the board but this is like an algebra equation in high school. The left side of the equation includes the standards and the application of the standards while the right side of the equation is the individual responsibility to achieve and maintain the standard. Restricting fast food chains on installations and other top heavy type approaches (see NYC attempts to limit soda size) try to emplace on the left side of the equation what should be on the right side of the equation. Simply stated, if an individual Soldier can not or will not uphold a standard then the remedy should be an individual remedy (separate from the Army) and not a mass punishment remedy. The proximate cause of the problem is individual discipline so that is where the solution should lie.
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SPC Matthew Birkinbine
SPC Matthew Birkinbine
9 y
I have to agree sir, My bodyfat composition is no one else's problem, but my own, and there are programs set up to combat it. It's up to me to see the program through, and maintain it. That much, I haven't been able to do too well lately, but I'm getting better.
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SGT Kevin Gardner
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I look at it this way, are you so freaking big that I can't pull your big #%% out of a burning MRAP? Then the people your hurting are the people trying to save your life.
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SGT Kevin Gardner
SGT Kevin Gardner
9 y
And that's how it's suposed to be, thank you CPl Ian Phillips.
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SPC Brandon Spray
SPC Brandon Spray
9 y
I will disagree SGT, 250lbs lean or fat weighs 250 lbs. I was just using 265 as an example. Being on the heavy size, I have always been able to work more people under the table. Working muscle are different than weight lifting muscle. Take it for what you want, I have seen lots of muscle heads that can't put in a full days work without loads of breaks and being pampered. All show in my opinion. Yea, my belly doesn't look like that six pack. But my work ethic is superior, just not in the gym. It's nice, I have my DD-214 and don't have to deal with SGT's such as yourself that thinks because a souldier a bit heavy it is the end of the world and everyone around them is in danger, which is just crap.

While I do agree the soldier pictured is way to much. That is dangerous, the soldier that is 5 lbs over weight but passes the APFT is not. The soldier that has a leg for a neck and passes tape but is 30 lbs over weight, where does he fit into your line of thinking? Physical ability and being able to perform your job is what should be looked at, not how you fit into a uniform. I have went round and round with NCO's about this, at the end of the day who ever has the most strips on their chest wins. Just like the 21 year old buck SGT that doesn't know how to get out of bed but is good at PT.
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SGT Kevin Gardner
SGT Kevin Gardner
9 y
I did not say 250 pounds of muscle weighs less than 250 pounds of fat, I was talking about mass. Working muscle is a miss representation of muscle in general, it's the same muscle just trained differently, tak someone who is a bow hunter skinny guy but he can pull an 80 pound draw, now take a guy who has never shot a bow but has a good muscle definition and he has a bit of trouble pulling the 80 pound draw.

None of this is really of any consequence, because ultimately the U.S. Armed forces have a standard, you meet the standards or you exceed the standards, the guy pictured does neither of that. It is soldiers like that that put soldiers like us in danger.
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SPC Brandon Spray
SPC Brandon Spray
9 y
I agree, but don't lump over weight soldiers in with this massively overweight soldier. Standards are standards. What I loved to do was get into it with NCO's that were AR rangers. So I would follow the AR's like they said, most the time they backed off because I knew more about AR's than them, only because I had to. If it's good for the gander then it's good for the goose, I gauntee that most the NCO's on here are not within some standard that they are preaching. It might be small yet they will still preach the standards. Picking and choosing the standards that you want to enforce is crap, follow them all or go with the flow. Done tons of push-ups making NCO's look stupid and feel small for pushing a standard they themselve didn't follow. But I was the one pushing, retarded system really.
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SSG(P) Instructor
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Edited 9 y ago
The current mass production of food involves lots of processing and preservatives, the American diet is carb-heavy, we now have multiple sugar substitutes, GMOs; all of these have an impact on hormones, and our troops can eat as much as they like at the DFAC...isn't helping the obesity epidemic. There are numerous health conditions one can develop; the two that aggravate this weight gain epidemic is insulin resistance and hypo-thyroid, both slow down metabolism...the military could do more to monitor hypothyroidism, and Metformin is often an option for Insulin resistant Pre-diabetics....dietary counseling, extra mandatory PT, setting up a fat-body program...making troops accountable. Following a low carb diet is a fantastic start....for those that gain weight easily.
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SSG(P) Instructor
SSG(P) (Join to see)
9 y
First of all, this wasnt meant to be a oissing contest. Any of my previous comments were not meant to portrayed in a snide fashion, if they were taken that way, it was misinterpreted.

...not sure where I slandered the US Army. Please reference my disrespect. Furthermore (1) a patient would need a full medical exam and evaluation to get medications discussed. (2) A physician would have to prescribe the above listed medications, (3) individual shown in above post is likely insulin resistant, which is likely a Metformin case (4) we are both advocating for our patients and any arguing is completely unproductive and unneceasary.

So I will finish this post with just a few more comments since you chose to slander me on a public forum. Sir, how many medications are prescribed for off label use?...plenty. I respect your role in health-care model, my sister is also PA-C, and another sister is a FNP. I'm happy to see you are more pro-active with your patients...than reactive. We need more health care providers that are willing to tell it like it is.

I merely suggested that there are other treatments that could help with weight loss (Metformin to curb hunger, and increase insulin sensitivity) while they are also under going dietary counseling as well as exercise prescription. Sub-clinical...does exist, and No, you are correct there is no ICD-9 or ICD-10 number...because they will likely just tighten down the lab values.

If you feel this isn't a good enough explanation, please PM me so we can sort out our differences.
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SSG(P) Instructor
SSG(P) (Join to see)
9 y
No link? Okay, well, there does seem to be some evidence that eating genetically modifed foods can potentially trigger an autoimmune condition, such as Graves’ Disease or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. But GMOs can lead to other autoimmune conditions as well, and other health issues such as autism, diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, and many other conditions. Plus, getting back to thyroid health, in past articles I’ve read , the risks of unfermented soy on thyroid health, as it can potentially inhibit thyroid gland activity. And of course having the soy genetically modified will only make things worse.
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SSG(P) Instructor
SSG(P) (Join to see)
9 y
No link? Well let me share this, there does seem to be some evidence that eating genetically modifed foods can potentially trigger an autoimmune condition, such as Graves’ Disease or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. But GMOs in general can lead to other autoimmune conditions in a subset of the population as well, and other health issues possibly linked to GMO's include autism, diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, and many other autoimmune conditions. Plus, getting back to thyroid health, in past articles I’ve read there is increasing concern about the risks of unfermented soy on thyroid health, as it can potentially inhibit thyroid gland activity. And of course having the soy genetically modified will only make things worse. And you're right, a larger % of our food is GMO, and perhaps in a 100 years our bodies will adapt, but we are certainly a sucker population with our current diet. I recommend eating food that is minimally processed or not at all. A whole food diet, especially for those with a health crisis or any kind of significant digestion history...just to rule out any food sensitivities.
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SSG(P) Instructor
SSG(P) (Join to see)
9 y
Thyroid disorder 244.9 and this from the Mayo Clinic:
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH), also called mild thyroid failure, is diagnosed when peripheral thyroid hormone levels are within normal reference laboratory range but serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels are mildly elevated. This condition occurs in 3% to 8% of the general population. It is more common in women than men, and its prevalence increases with age. Of patients with SCH, 80% have a serum TSH of less than 10 mIU/L. The most important implication of SCH is high likelihood of progression to clinical hypothyroidism. The possibility that it is a cardiovascular risk factor has been a subject of debate. Large-scale randomized studies are needed for evidence-based recommendations regarding screening for mild thyroid failure and levothyroxine therapy for this condition. Currently, the practical approach is routine levothyroxine therapy for persons with a persistent serum TSH of more than 10.0 mIU/L and individualized therapy for those with a TSH of less than 10.0 mIU/L.

Abbreviations
SCH, subclinical hypothyroidismTPO, thyroperoxidaseTSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone
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