From the Atlantic today.

Quote: "General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and International forces in Afghanistan, had a different optic on the question altogether. The biggest threat to the United States isn't in Iran or Pakistan -- these, we can ultimately deal with: "We have the technology and forces to do that." The greatest threat is "in our schools," he said, noting the U.S.'s low high-school graduation rates, and the physical problem of obesity. "Thirty-three percent of the nation is ineligible to serve in the military," he said. " It's a national security issue."

The Atlantic.

Something I have said many times before: corn-syrup will be our demise.

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"Thirty-three percent of the nation is ineligible to serve in the military,"

That's sad, a nation of fatties.

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I know, it's pretty depressing. Maybe major Bloomberg has a point.

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Black on Black 1979 300CD: sold, will replace it with a 560SEC next year or maybe the year after...a black on black would be nice with my silver Volvo 780 Bertone...

I was at Target the other day and saw 2 really fat kids (maybe 9 or 10) shopping with their Mom. They were both eating some sort of Starbuck's whipped cream frap confection. Must have been 500 calories. No wonder. I overheard Mom talking to them and she didn't strike me as being someone who cared about anything related to health, diet or exercise.

I don't recall seeing fat kids when I was young. Now it's the norm.

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Me too, Swede. I remember when a fat kid was unusual. Now we see a normal kid and think he's skinny.

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"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain

[QUOTE=Jorn;2965778The biggest threat to the United States isn't in Iran or Pakistan -- these, we can ultimately deal with: "We have the technology and forces to do that."

The greatest threat is "in our schools," he said, noting the U.S.'s low high-school graduation rates, and the physical problem of obesity. "Thirty-three percent of the nation is ineligible to serve in the military," he said. " It's a national security issue."[/QUOTE]

Not yet, we don't. At least, it hasn't been proven yet. Certainly not the will.

Actually, I think he is talking about BOTH issues. Graduation and obesity. Still, so what? If you really wanted to serve and are able, fine. If you are unable to get into shape or unable to pass HS, I guess you won't make a decent soldier so why do you want that? So now it is national security, is it? Is there anything that can happen that is NOT able to be classified into national security? Can not wiping their butts be considered an issue of national security? How about small business owners not succeeding? How about businesses sitting on cash and not wanting to invest?

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McChrystal doesn't define whether the "ineligibility" total of 33% is predicated on BMI and/or HS graduation does he? Nor does he define the eligability metric or that such metrics are unalterable does he?

Doesn't seem to prevent the faux handwringing of the enlightened among us though.

A nation with 67% non-fatties is a nation of fatties?

Can you tell everyone what percentage of the 33% ineligible as a result of BMI and what percentage is ineligible as a result of not graduating from the public school monopoly education system? After reading the article it doesn't seem that MacChrystal provided any such breakdown.

That you don't recall seeing fat kids when you where young, logically leads you conclude that weren't fat kids then, rather than your memory is faulty? Unless of coarse your childhood was spent in Biafra or someplace similar!

33% are ineligible. So who cares what percentage is what?

My experience was in another military so I can't be sure how it translates to this one but perhaps someone in this military can explain this.

If the candidate is obese and cannot and/or will not lose the weight and we say that he is either lacking discipline and or the body to do the job, what good is such a candidate in the military?

If the candidate cannot and/or will not pass the HS level and we surmise that he/she lacks the discipline to do the classwork and/or intelligence, what good is that candidate in the military?

So, is a loss?

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A true story.....

I knew a guy who was drafted in around 1968. He was fat. He was not overweight; he was fat. he had been a far child and was now a fat young man.

Three or four months later he was home after basic training. He was in such good shape I was not sure it was him. He asked me to go with him to cruise the strip and see if our town had changed any.

And on the parking lot of a Western Auto store (this was about 11 p.m.) were a bunch of military folks standing around, so we pulled in. It turns out he knew almost everyone of them since they had all gone into the service at the same time and were now all home for a few weeks at Christmas.

The Army guys were in tip-top shape, the Air Force guys looked good and the Navy guys looked like they were in good shape but none were as trim as those with an Army uniform on. There were no Marines present.

So either the General has not seen a new recruit in a long time or something has changed concerning basic training, because if they could turn this guy into the lean person he was then they could do it for anyone.

And..... The Army guys talked a lot about target practice and M-16's, the Air Force guys mentioned they had also had some target practice and the Navy guys said they had been to the range twice. But then, the Navy guys pointed out that they shot real guns with ammo measured in inches and not toy guns like the Army and Air Force guys were limited to.

Maybe you missed the fact that the earlier posters had without substantiation inferred that the entire 33% was due to excessive BMI and not the combination of that and no diploma. It was a rhetorical devise used to illuminate the falicy of their misconception, posed as a question rather than coming straight out and as aresult being accused of insulting someone possibly hurting some delicate feelings in the process.


And you might want to rethink your arguement because as I read it MacChrystal said the 33% would be ineligible and therefore excluded from military service, I take that to mean they would be excluded from even being a candidate so your hypothetical "what good would such a candidate be to the military", exercise is ridiculous on it's face.

Sounds like your military service was compulsery whereas since the early 70's the US is an all volunteer military, eligibility criteria separate the wheat from the chafe first step in the process.

In 1968 the American people were still in good shape, this all changed pretty fast in the early seventies when corn-syrup replaced sugars in our diet and it go's really bad in the 80's with the introduction of al the "light" and "diet" products.

My girlfriend who is from the mid-west had her family over for a little vacation in Palm Springs. They think they eat healthy but all of them are obese, they don't walk, they wobble. They were stunned to see how thin my girl is: same DNA, only difference is better diet and moderate exercise.


In my school there was maybe one fat kid and by todays standard you would not even call him fat. My mom had a girlfriend who was fat, it was one of the very few fat people I remember growing up.

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Black on Black 1979 300CD: sold, will replace it with a 560SEC next year or maybe the year after...a black on black would be nice with my silver Volvo 780 Bertone...

My friend was not given a 'choice' in if he wanted to lose the weight. He was the property of the US Army and he was informed he was going to lose the weight.

The Army even had a 'fat farm' set up just for those that were having trouble knocking off the pounds. Once you went in you did not come out until the weight was gone. They even called it 'The Farm'.

He did put the weight back on, but he is now in his early 60's. He became a Career Man and as long as he was in the Army he was trim, trim, trim.

He should have joined the reserve after he left Army. ;^)

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Black on Black 1979 300CD: sold, will replace it with a 560SEC next year or maybe the year after...a black on black would be nice with my silver Volvo 780 Bertone...