The U.S. military has declared a new national security threat that is insidiously working its way through the fabric of American life. Spies? Terrorist groups? Mexican drug cartels? Nope. Obesity.
The U.S. military recently stated that 27% of young Americans ages 17-24 are too fat to serve in the military.
“When you get kids who can’t do push-ups, pull-ups or run, this is a fundamental problem not just for the military but for the country,” said Curtis Gilroy, the Pentagon’s director of accessions policy. Many kids are not “taking physical education in school; they’re more interested in sedentary activities such as the computer or television. And we have a fast-food mentality in this country.”
The Washington Post article continues, ….Recruiters, then, become part-time tutors and coaches, helping with homework and whipping kids into shape. Some even hold after-school workouts, where teenagers prepare for basic training. To pass an Army physical fitness test, an 18-year-old male must be able to do 42 push-ups in two minutes, 53 sit-ups in two minutes and run two miles in 15 minutes and 54 seconds.
The same article states that “One of the main reason recruits don’t qualify for the service is inadequate education. One in four between the ages of 17 and 24 does not have a high school diploma, according to the report. And many who do still fail the military’s version of the SAT, known as the Armed Forces Qualification Test”. In other words, kids are too dumb to qualify.
That’s fully 50% of young adults are either too fat or too dumb to serve in the army. The number is actually higher when you add in other factors such as criminal records.
I’ll let Dean Wormer sum up my feelings on this subject:
But I believe in this country. When a challenge is presented, the challenge can be met! Let Bluto explain:
Be a patriot. Educate yourself and lose weight.
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