US youngsters are too fat to fight warn generals
Former generals want Congress to act
to give children better food in schools Rising rates of obesity among young Americans could undermine the future of the US military, two retired generals have warned.
More than a quarter of young Americans are now too fat to fight, they said.
Writing in the Washington Post, the ex-commanders said the fat crisis ruled out more potential military service recruits than any other medical factor.
They want Congress to introduce laws to give US children better nutrition in schools, with less sugar, salt and fat.
John Shalikashvili and Hugh Shelton, both former chairmen of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote: "Obesity rates threaten the overall health of America and the future strength of our military."
"We consider this problem so serious from a national security perspective that we have joined more than 130 other retired generals, admirals and senior military leaders in calling on Congress to pass new child nutrition legislation," the commanders added.
The warning comes amid mounting fears that childhood obesity has turned into an "epidemic" affecting an astonishing one in three young American people.
Mr Shalikashvili and Mr Shelton pointed to post-school lunch laws from 1946, which recognised that poor nutrition reduced the pool of military recruits.
"We must act, as we did after World War II, to ensure that our children can one day defend our country, if need be."
Obesity rates in the US have surged over the last year, according to one report .
The Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found adult obesity rates rose in 23 of the 50 states, but fell in none.
Huntington, West Virginia has been named by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as the unhealthiest city in America. Nearly half of the adults in the five-county metropolitan area are obese and Huntington leads in heart disease, diabetes and elderly people who have lost their teeth. Contrast that with Burlington, Vermont, the nations healthiest city. What’s the difference? It all boils down to money and education.
First let’s look at Huntington. Its poverty rate is worse than the national average. It is a blue-collar white skinned community – people of English, Irish and German ancestry. Over the last few decades the manufacturing jobs have left the area and the remaining jobs are low paying. The largest employers are the hospitals and Marshall University.
Contrast that with Burlington. Only 8% live at the federal poverty level, compared to 19% in Huntington. Nearly 40% of residents have a college degree, compared with 15% in Huntington.
In Burlington, healthy eating is popular. Vegan options are plentiful and even low-income residents have the choice of bulk rice and grains and vegetables at local markets. In Huntington, donut shops abound and Pizza, KFC and fast food offer the best bargains to poor residents.
In Burlington people ride bikes, hike, ski and garden. Huntington has few parks and even on sunny days, residents are not out and about. The rural roads are busy and there are few sidewalks.
Huntington allows smoking in restaurants and local bars and even the hospitals have not been effective in forbidding smoking. Huntington’s culture is one of “you’re not going to tell me what I can or cannot eat” and the fact that poor eating, lack of exercise and smoking causes medical problems does not seem spur change.
Huntington officials are striking back and saying that the CDC report doesn’t exactly “mention” their area by name but includes a larger square mile area, of which they are just a portion. Despite the excuses by the city officials, a local physician, Dr. John Walden who is chair of family and community health at Marshall University says,
"I don't know that I've ever been in a place where I've seen so many overweight people.”
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