The War Against Obesity is a Matter of National Security

Obesity has been in the media a lot lately. I read recently in the New York Times that experts estimate that more than 66% of Americans are overweight. Another scary statistic from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the rate of child obesity in our country: 12.4% among ages 2-5, 17% among ages 6-11, and 17.6% among ages 12-19. To put this perspective, 1 out of 3 kids are considered overweight or obese today. Not only are these statistics alarming because of the health related-consequences facing these children today, as well as later in adulthood (cardiovascular disease, asthma, hepatic steatosis, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes), they're also alarming because of what it means for the future of National Security. The strength and power of our country is based on the strength and power of our armed forces. We are a force to be reckoned with today, but what is to become of us tomorrow if the future of our country is already obese?    Rebbecca Meyers, a contestant on the Season 8 of the reality TV show The Biggest Loser, wanted to serve her country in the military but couldn’t because she could never reach the weight limit. A quick visit to AirForce.com reveals  “The Air Force does not offer a weight reduction program. Currently, all applicants must meet a weight requirement based on their height.” The US Army on the other hand has already changed its policy to aid recruiting – overweight recruits have one year to shape up and meet the Army's physical requirements. But what if that’s not enough? What if new recruits never reach the weight limit? Or worse, what if knowing what if no one is motivated to even try and reach the Army's or the Air Force's  weight limit? What then? What will become of  National Security? The war against obesity should be at the forefront of national priorities and should be taken very seriously. I must admit that even I at first thought obesity in our country was just Darwin’s theory of "survival of the fittest" in action and we should jut let it be. But then it occurred to me – who will protect and defend us in the future? Just a thought.