Weight Woes Grow in the US Military

[BMT (RIP)]

The subgroups with the highest proportion of overweight personnel include people over 40 (8.3 percent), women (8.2 percent), health care workers (8 percent) and Air Force members (7.2 percent). The lowest prevalence of weight problems came among Marines (1.7 percent) and soldiers younger than 20 (2 percent).

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2...tml?ESRC=eb.nl

Went to RVN weighing 165 and came home weighing 135!!

BMT

[PRB]

Marines have a better focus on PT and appearance...they also have a much younger force across the board.
The fat disease is everywhere in the world now but we seem to lead the way.
I came back from RVN at a strapping 138 lbs.
Never could fig out that health care worker deal but it is true.

[cbtengr]

When Grandma was in the nursing home she never failed to point out an overweight care giver, she usually made the announcement in a rather loud voice to which I always replied yes grandma but their hearing is just fine .

[Basenshukai]

When I first joined SF, I weighed about 168 lb (I'm 5'8"). Now, I weigh 182 lb. The difference? I can do 30 consecutive pull-ups and do 200 hundred in a single workout every week and my max bench is 315 lb. I don't have a gut and my biceps and triceps are significantly larger. The on-the-job activity has increased my weight. Nothing unusual among most of the fellas in the unit.

[Constant]

The Air Force has a pathetic fitness program and most units I've been in aren't given any duty time to do any fitness activities. Peterson AFB overall has larger individuals in all the branches here. My Airman and myself though, I make sure we get time or do it on our own. The commanders here (my group) are more concerned with numbers of patients rather then the fitness of their unit. They don't think of the ongoing war or sending folks down range. 90% of my unit is on a profile.

There are a few of us NCOs that push fitness as part of an overal lifestyle but the commanders don't want to lose anyone as that could hurt their numbers (promotion). Part of the AF mentality. It's a job not a profession. I don't subscribe to it or encourage it however most do.

Solution? For me, keep being an NCO.

[Basenshukai]

Originally Posted by Constant

The Air Force has a pathetic fitness program and most units I've been in aren't given any duty time to do any fitness activities. Peterson AFB overall has larger individuals in all the branches here. My Airman and myself though, I make sure we get time or do it on our own. The commanders here (my group) are more concerned with numbers of patients rather then the fitness of their unit. They don't think of the ongoing war or sending folks down range. 90% of my unit is on a profile.

There are a few of us NCOs that push fitness as part of an overal lifestyle but the commanders don't want to lose anyone as that could hurt their numbers (promotion). Part of the AF mentality. It's a job not a profession. I don't subscribe to it or encourage it however most do.

Solution? For me, keep being an NCO.

When I was a 1LT, I had the opportunity to help a buddy out with the unit's Unit Status Report (USR). When we went to the brigade to turn in the USR, I had a chat with the brigade S1 (personnel) officer. I was shocked to find out that the vast majority of medical profiles came from the support units (maintenance, logistics, etc.). It was odd to me as a young officer because I knew first hand the hardships we infantry/sapper types put ourselves through. The long and heavy ruck marches, the four and six mile runs, long PT hours. But, the S1 enlightened me on the subject. He said that it was our physical activity that actually kept us from getting hurt. Kind of counter-intuitive, but tangibly true, as I saw it.

[Utah Bob]

Originally Posted by Basenshukai

When I was a 1LT, I had the opportunity to help a buddy out with the unit's Unit Status Report (USR). When we went to the brigade to turn in the USR, I had a chat with the brigade S1 (personnel) officer. I was shocked to find out that the vast majority of medical profiles came from the support units (maintenance, logistics, etc.). It was odd to me as a young officer because I knew first hand the hardships we infantry/sapper types put ourselves through. The long and heavy ruck marches, the four and six mile runs, long PT hours. But, the S1 enlightened me on the subject. He said that it was our physical activity that actually kept us from getting hurt. Kind of counter-intuitive, but tangibly true, as I saw it.

Correct. The better physical condition you are in, the less prone to injury you are.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Basenshukai

When I was a 1LT, I had the opportunity to help a buddy out with the unit's Unit Status Report (USR). When we went to the brigade to turn in the USR, I had a chat with the brigade S1 (personnel) officer. I was shocked to find out that the vast majority of medical profiles came from the support units (maintenance, logistics, etc.). It was odd to me as a young officer because I knew first hand the hardships we infantry/sapper types put ourselves through. The long and heavy ruck marches, the four and six mile runs, long PT hours. But, the S1 enlightened me on the subject. He said that it was our physical activity that actually kept us from getting hurt. Kind of counter-intuitive, but tangibly true, as I saw it.

You mean the combat arms were less likely to attract slackers, shirkers, and malingerers.

I saw just what you mention every morning at PT when Training Group was in the old COSCOM area.

TR

[head]

You guys know what the term "skinny fat" mean?

'A person who is not overweight and have skinny look but still have a high fat percentage and low muscular mass. Usually those people have a low caloric diet, that's why they are skinny, but are not involved in any sports activities or trainings and that's why they don’t have any muscle. Since between the bone and the skin those people only have fat, the skin can be deformed easily because the skin layer is located on an unstable matter (fat)." (Urban Dictionary)


1) The Army needs to worry more about body composition than weight/BMI.
2) The Army needs to use an ACCURATE way of measuring body fat.

Too many soldiers have bitch tits and a gut when they are younger, yet it is acceptable since they meet the arbitrary weight limit. However they never learn about proper nutrition and physical training OR are motivated to change their habits, then they blow up as they get older.

[mffjm8509]

Too much emphasis on sideburns and tattoos and not enough emphasis on PT standards....

[Guy]

Originally Posted by head

Too many soldiers have bitch tits and a gut when they are younger, yet it is acceptable since they meet the arbitrary weight limit. However they never learn about proper nutrition and physical training OR are motivated to change their habits, then they blow up as they get older.

To many men busy getting manicures & eye-brow arches...

[afchic]

Originally Posted by head

You guys know what the term "skinny fat" mean?

'A person who is not overweight and have skinny look but still have a high fat percentage and low muscular mass. Usually those people have a low caloric diet, that's why they are skinny, but are not involved in any sports activities or trainings and that's why they don’t have any muscle. Since between the bone and the skin those people only have fat, the skin can be deformed easily because the skin layer is located on an unstable matter (fat)." (Urban Dictionary)


1) The Army needs to worry more about body composition than weight/BMI.
2) The Army needs to use an ACCURATE way of measuring body fat.

Too many soldiers have bitch tits and a gut when they are younger, yet it is acceptable since they meet the arbitrary weight limit. However they never learn about proper nutrition and physical training OR are motivated to change their habits, then they blow up as they get older.

This is my big bitch about the AF program. The emphasis is on a waist measurement and not on the actual physical fitness. IE our leadership is more concerned about looks than fitness.

Case in point. I am 40 years old and am 6'2. I am.expected to have the same waist measurement as an 18yo aiman who is 5'0. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on surgery and body wraps. That doesn't take into account the gym membership and personal trainer I have. I can clean the floor with most airmen as far as fitness goes. But in order to pass my PT test I have to starve/dehydrate myself for 10 days to pass.

I have a BMI of 24. I habe spoken to the docs the exercise physiologists etc and none of them.can give me a good answer as to why a tape measurer is a good measure of my physical fitness.