Fat and the military
David Frum, CNN contributor, Republican, and former Bush speechwriter, wrote a very interesting and convincing opinion piece about obesity in America and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” called “Why obesity is a national security threat.” Rising above the hysterics of today’s politics, Frum urges Americans to look past the current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” controversy to address the larger problem plaguing today’s military—obesity.
Frum claims that “in 2008, some 634 military personnel were discharged for transgressing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ That same year, 4,555 were discharged for failing to meet military weight standards.” It is unclear from where he is pulling these numbers, but if accurate, they paint a pretty dismal picture. Frum goes on to explain the military’s weight requirements, exasperatingly adding that “young men with body fat of 30% (the boundary between ‘overweight’ and ‘obese’)” can join the military if they promise to lose weight.
Female recruits in basic training
He makes a solid argument: obesity is threatening the military and America’s national security more than homosexuality. What is most poignant is that Frum is departing from the commonly accepted agenda and talking points of the more radical members of his own political party.
Additional support for his argument comes from the non-partisan group of retired military leaders, Mission Readiness. In this report, they claim that 27 percent of American 17- to 24-year-olds are too fat to serve in the military. Over 100,000 people were turned away from recruiting centers between 1995 and 2008 because of their weight. Extremely concerned about childhood obesity’s effect on national security, Mission Readiness urges healthier practices in schools. The object of the report seems to be urging the passage of the bill outlined in this post.
Regardless of politics or “Don’t ask, Don’t tell,” readers cannot help but concur with Frum’s take on obesity and national security. Obesity in America will be just as threatening to our national security as deliberate outside threats, yet no one is taking it seriously. My hope is that Frum’s piece will change the direction of both health and national security policy.
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