Army Applicant Dies After Losing 85 lbs - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skippy · #1 03-26-2011, 06:47 PM

A young man wanting to join Army EOD lost approximately 85 lbs in three and a half months while attempting to make the height-weight standards. Due to the extreme methods he used, he suffered a severe electrolyte imbalance resulting in fatal cardiac dysrythmia. His mother alleges the recruiters advised him to use these methods and are responsible for his death.

Linky: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/26/ohio-mom-claims-army-20-year-old-son-diet-death/

Discuss.

strelnik · #2 03-26-2011, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skippy

A young man wanting to join Army EOD lost approximately 85 lbs in three and a half months while attempting to make the height-weight standards. Due to the extreme methods he used, he suffered a severe electrolyte imbalance resulting in fatal cardiac dysrythmia. His mother alleges the recruiters advised him to use these methods and are responsible for his death.

Linky: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/26/ohio-mom-claims-army-20-year-old-son-diet-death/

Discuss.

As a former weight control officer, i can tel you these guys violated all kinds of regs

The screening weight and the body fat index allowed for recruits in Army reg 600-9 would have allowed him another 12 weeks to lose weight IF it was necessary

Somebody's got to hang for this one.

Skippy · #3 03-26-2011, 09:59 PM

I've never heard of a weight control officer-what duties does that job entail? In the Navy we have something called a Command Fitness Leader (CFL) who is normally a chief petty officer. They're responsible for weigh-ins, body fat measurements, and administering PT tests and the physical readiness program.

My own experience losing weight to get back in the Navy in 2006 went something like this: I did an initial weigh-in and tape with the recruiter and determined I weighed 170 lbs with 27% body fat. As the standards for a man of my height and age required 155 lbs or a body fat of 22% or lower, I had some weight to lose. The recruiter went no further than advising me to, "...really take it easy on the eating." I devised a crash diet consisting of all the bag salad (no dressing) I cared to eat, along with one small tv dinner a night along with exercise. After a week of this, I loosened up to eating a little more regular food while continuing to exercise. I also intentionally restricted my fluid intake for about 12 hours before the weigh-in. While I didn't feel so great at the time, I did manage to weigh in at 151 lbs, having dropped 19 pounds in about two weeks.

Txjake · #4 03-27-2011, 01:03 AM

It is a shame this happened. FWIW, the article points out a picture of him as a HS senior, 6ft tall & 270 pounds. The writer indicated he looked "healthy" I can tell, if he wasn't a muscle bulked athlete. 270 & 6ft tall is NOT healthy, esp at age 17-18. There is a distinct possibility that, at that weight (obese), he already had some cardiac issues. Parents who allow their kids to get fat are killing them.....

strelnik · #5 03-27-2011, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skippy

I've never heard of a weight control officer-what duties does that job entail? In the Navy we have something called a Command Fitness Leader (CFL) who is normally a chief petty officer. They're responsible for weigh-ins, body fat measurements, and administering PT tests and the physical readiness program.

.

AR 600-9 details the programs and duties of a weight control officer. The idea is to keep people from weighing too much because it reduces their stamina and the Army Physical Fitness test is based on stamina, not strength or agility. Now they are changing it.

The biggest issue, actually, is the crappy fatty food the Army feeds you. But you see, the purchase of food is all based on the lowest bidder.

So what do you expect?

The system is broke

#6 03-27-2011, 08:44 AM

I does not seem appropriate for the recruiter to be giving him any type of medical advice. Wouldn't it be more appropriate for the recruiter to tell him the weight criterion and then refer him to his doctor?

anthonyb · #7 03-27-2011, 02:33 PM

At a height of 6' and 270 pounds his BMI clocks in at around 36, which is definitely in the obese range. Although, folks with a lot of muscle mass will tend to have high BMIs too.

Reading the article, it sounds like this guy basically ended up doing what most people with anorexia do, and this is pretty much how anorexics die.

Restricting fluid intake is usually a bad idea unless it's done under the advice of a physician for a specific medical condition. Losing a lot of weight fast can also cause problems, especially if it's done without attention to nutritional intake.

strelnik · #8 03-27-2011, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthonyb

At a height of 6' and 270 pounds his BMI clocks in at around 36, which is definitely in the obese range. Although, folks with a lot of muscle mass will tend to have high BMIs too.

Reading the article, it sounds like this guy basically ended up doing what most people with anorexia do, and this is pretty much how anorexics die.

Restricting fluid intake is usually a bad idea unless it's done under the advice of a physician for a specific medical condition. Losing a lot of weight fast can also cause problems, especially if it's done without attention to nutritional intake.

You cannot base a prediction of BMI on height alone. When you start to study the basics of bariatrics, which is what happens when you are professionally trained as a weight control officer, then the other stuff makes sense. It also involves medical evaluations which this guy didn't get.

Like I said, the system is broke, because we are trying to get people w/o professional knowledge to be brecruiters AND professional medical techs and they are not qualified.
Hence my comments
He could enter the Army, be put on a program to monitor his weight and be fine in 12 weeks when he finished his training, as long as he did woof down potato chips and pork rinds off duty.

I suspect that a stupid recruiter didn't know enough about his own job to know these things.

When I was a WCO the first thing I did was read all the regs, bring in all the bodybuilders and get them to understand that muscle mass is different from body fat, get them to avoid anabolic steroids, which were still legal then and no one had a problem.

But when you take an untrained NCO with no professional training because "we're too busy to train you and you'll figure it out on the job," you end up with these results.

tbomachines · #9 03-27-2011, 05:07 PM

BMI is simply a measure of weight, height, and age. Its a pretty stupid and inaccurate system, according to BMI I'm considered obese despite having %BF in low 20s.

Chas H · #10 03-27-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

AR 600-9 details the programs and duties of a weight control officer. The idea is to keep people from weighing too much because it reduces their stamina and the Army Physical Fitness test is based on stamina, not strength or agility. Now they are changing it.

The biggest issue, actually, is the crappy fatty food the Army feeds you. But you see, the purchase of food is all based on the lowest bidder.

So what do you expect?

The system is broke

The dead young man was not yet a member of the Army. I doubt he was subject to AR 600-9 or Army food.
When I joined the Army in '66 I weighed 170 lbs, when I left I weighed 140. Weight gain is the result of diet and exercise, not cheap food.

Ara T. · #11 03-27-2011, 05:19 PM

Anyone in boot camp would be able to eat as much crappy food as they could stomach, and still lose quite a bit of weight.

Skippy · #12 03-28-2011, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ara T.

Anyone in boot camp would be able to eat as much crappy food as they could stomach, and still lose quite a bit of weight.

Not true. I got to boot camp at 139 pounds was nearing 150 by the time I left. Of course this was Navy boot camp, which doesn't involve a whole lot of running. If you're talking Army or Marines, YMMV.

I second the food the military feeds you not helping with obesity. On a desert deployment, unless you are out on a COP the chow hall tends to be pretty much all you can eat, generally consisting of things that aren't particularly healthy. Also, the TCN's who serve the food are apparently taught in orientation that Americans like absolutely HUGE portions. Trying to get just a little bit of something is pretty challenging. Stateside chow halls are a little better in this respect, but not by much.

Edit: Oh yeah, for those of you from Rio Linda COP=Combat Outpost and TCN=Third (world) Country National

Ara T. · #13 03-28-2011, 12:33 AM

You didn't need to lose weight, though.

Don't the armed forces have some sort of pre-boot camp program for fatter people? I remember my Marine cousin in some sort of thing like that.

strelnik · #14 03-28-2011, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chas H

The dead young man was not yet a member of the Army. I doubt he was subject to AR 600-9 or Army food.
When I joined the Army in '66 I weighed 170 lbs, when I left I weighed 140. Weight gain is the result of diet and exercise, not cheap food.

Your statement is not completely accurate: screening weight for induction into the Army is also governed by AR 600-9.

The recruiter is DEFINITELY covered by AR 600-9. And there are guidelines for screening.

Cheap food is fatty food. Fatty food does not help you if you are trying to lose weight unless you're in the ketosis phase of a special diet, partly under doctor's care and after they have taken BP, cholesterol, an ECG and checked your family history and your exercise habits.

Under the right circumstances you can give anyone a heart attack.

Chas H · #15 03-28-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

Your statement is not completely accurate: screening weight for induction into the Army is also governed by AR 600-9.

The recruiter is DEFINITELY covered by AR 600-9. And there are guidelines for screening.

Cheap food is fatty food. Fatty food does not help you if you are trying to lose weight unless you're in the ketosis phase of a special diet, partly under doctor's care and after they have taken BP, cholesterol, an ECG and checked your family history and your exercise habits.

Under the right circumstances you can give anyone a heart attack.

The dead young man was not in the Army, and cheap food is not by nature fatty. Are you claiming the subject dieted according AR 600-9?