Scary times for our military. Secretary of defense petehegseth is fighting to get our troops back focused on lethality and military capability. The reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces, now a critical operational force in global and domestic missions, faces a significant internal threat to its readiness: the obesity epidemic. With over 65% of reserve personnel classified as overweight or obese as of 2018, likely rising to 68% in line with active component trends, obesity undermines recruitment, retention, and operational effectiveness. This condition, linked to over 200 health risks like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoarthritis, exacerbates challenges in a time of low military interest and increasing demands from overseas deployments, disaster relief, and border security operations. Unique logistical and lifestyle factors, such as part-time service, complicate efforts to address obesity, requiring tailored policies distinct from active component strategies to ensure the reserve component remains fit and ready for escalating threats.
Thanks foxnews for having me on.
here is a link to the study just so you know I’m not spitting fax or data without references
https://www.americansecurityproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ref-0301-Ready-the-Reserve-Obesitys-Impacts-on-National-Guard-and-Reserve-Readiness.pdf
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