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.