Posted on Jul 16, 2015
Pool of potential enlistees is shrinking - due to obesity - any suggestions?
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Almost 1/3 of young adults are too overweight to even be considered for military service. This hampers our readiness, puts even more pressure on recruiters, and has over the years has caused our leaders to modify some entrance standards. How can we address this so that our military continues to have a plentiful pool of candidates?
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/07/15/report-nearly-1-in-3-young-adults-too-fat-for-military/30178023/
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/07/15/report-nearly-1-in-3-young-adults-too-fat-for-military/30178023/
Posted in these groups: 
Recruiting
Readiness
Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS)
79R: Recruiter
8411: Basic Recruiter
Recruiting Readiness Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) 79R: Recruiter 8411: Basic Recruiter
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 94
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I would not want to see standards for new recruits relaxed just to increase the size of the pool. That would be a disaster waiting to happen, IMHO.
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All of this fitness starts at home, healthy eating habits, regular excersice be at school (gym, sports or both) and then the individual has to have some willingness to not be a fat boy/girl. Get outside vs inside behind a phone, computer or TV
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We won’t need as many troops if we stop being the worlds go to military. Our military exists to protect our freedom. I’m not sure when our way of life came into the picture, but our way of life should be Freedom. It shouldn’t be about cheaper oil, crap products from around the world or anything other than Freedom. If we lower standards to maintain a military at a size we simply don’t need them we risk everything. We don’t need to have American troops in over 130 countries.
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Back in the 60s they took overweight people and took the weight off in boot camp.
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Absolutely not, I had to lose over 40 pounds to make weight at meps , so their is no excuse for being overweight
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I somewhat agree with the sergeant... those who want to join will lose the weight But having a comprehensive boot camp isn’t such a bad idea... you go in and focus solely on PT, and if you make a condition like creating a $500 course with a $500 completion bonus only those who drop out will pay
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Either lengthen basic training to give recruits more pt time to lose the weight or create a special bct program for those that are somewhat overweight but within an allowable standard that has heavy focus on pt and diet.
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My son is currently in Navy boot camp. His company started with 104 recruits and had only 82 at the end of the 3rd week. These losses were mostly due to failures of the navy PRT (physical readiness test)
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LTC Jason Strickland
Disappointing PO2 James Miller..but goes the very point of this article and all of the comments.
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As a serious suggestion, offer and/or require a pre basic version of BSEP for PT/weight. I think we had a remedial PT program for those that didn't score in a certain range, who were then recycled into the first class after completion of the program, just add the overweight. I certainly went in over my allowed 179 lbs., but Infantry OSUT tends to burn the weight off pretty quick.
I do understand the difference between grossly obese and being over weight. But why loss a potentially good soldier because he hits MEPS 10 lbs over his limit?
I do understand the difference between grossly obese and being over weight. But why loss a potentially good soldier because he hits MEPS 10 lbs over his limit?
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CPT Lawrence Cable
LTC Jason Strickland Staff)] - I went through the Ft Benning/Harmony Church weight loss program twice, enlisted and commissioned. I think during OSUT I dropped about 12 lbs in the first three weeks and made weight for the rest of the course. I came into IOBC at 174 (my max weight was 184) and scoring over 95 percent in all three PT events, still came out at 160 with my uniform hanging off me like a rag. I don't think you could possibly eat enough calories during the times allowed to actually gain weight. I know that all Basic Training isn't that physical, but it should still be physical enough to burn 10 or 12 pounds off a trainee, which is why I suggest a BSEP like weight loss/PT program.
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I do want to say that in the case of the Navy, the Navy has to commit to the sailors and make it a part of service and not just something they do on there own time
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