Is African-American obesity affecting diversity in the US military?
theGRIO REPORT - The percentage of age-eligible civilians exceeding the weight and fat standards for admission into United States Military Academies has more than doubled for men and more than tripled for women since 1959...
The data that Maclean and Crowley found was consistent with obesity disparities on national levels along racial and gender lines.
“African-Americans are [in particular] disproportionally more likely to exceed weight for height standards, which is one key component to being eligible to enlist in the U.S. military,” Maclean explains.
Considering that the military can provide both education and employment, the problem with obesity clearly goes beyond health. Despite the high number of applicants found to be obese, however, it’s not an automatic dismissal from the selection process.
According to Maclean, a potential candidate is first weighed and measured. Those numbers are compared to weight and height tables that list the maximum allowable weight for a given height based on age and certain body features. Then, body fat is measured.
“If you exceed both of these standards you can apply for a waiver which is essentially a contract that you will lose the weight over a period of time and you can be conditionally accepted,” says Maclean.
With the number of potential applicants dropping, there is an immediate concern about military readiness — the ability to raise military forces as needed.
“In response to threats to the [United States], the military has to respond by increasing its size very rapidly, so it is important to have a potential supply of applicants who can meet the standards [to join],” Maclean explains.
This is the second research paper in a series of three that Maclean and Cawley have worked on highlighting obesity as it pertains to the armed forces. They examined this issue at the levels of enlisted, service academies (Army, Navy, Air Force) and the Public Health Service Commission Corps. They found the trends consistent on all levels.
Maclean still stresses that more research is needed – both on the disparities and how to ready these applicants for service.
“It is hard to say what is the most effective way to lower the numbers, [so] we need to learn more.”
Dr. Terrance McGill is an aspiring family physician with a passion for writing and increasing health awareness in the community. He is currently working towards his Master’s in Public Health at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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