We all know that obesity in the U.S. is contributing to a host of medical problems and rising healthcare costs. However, what most fitness professionals don’t realize is that obesity can also affect our nation’s security.
Speaking at a press conference at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona warned that America’s obesity epidemic is a national security problem, as the more than 9 million overweight and obese children in the country threaten to shrink the pool of eligible service men and women. Carmona said that obesity “undermines the strength of our nation.”
The rapidly growing population of overweight, obese and physically unfit children is starting to affect the military, Carmona said. Obesity is one of the most common reasons service men and women cannot fully perform their duties. Carmona called obesity “the terror within.”
These are strong words, but they shouldn’t stop there. If obesity is affecting the military, it must also be affecting the police, emergency medical personnel, firefighters and the many first responders that every community relies on. People may be sick of hearing about the “obesity epidemic,” but it could very well affect you directly if you need medical assistance in the future and you don’t get it in time because your community lacks enough qualified people to fill those jobs.
Currently, we can see what effect the shortage of military personnel is having on our troops in the Middle East (i.e., repeat tours of duty). Imagine, then, what the future military will look like if it is stretched even thinner because young men and women are too overweight to qualify for service.
The list of problems associated with obesity goes on and on. And, the longer we let it go on, the worse things will become. The problem with overweight children may currently be a problem for their parents and healthcare professionals, but it will soon become a problem for everyone.
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