EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
- Corporate Win: Supreme Court Says Monsanto Has 'Control Over Product of Life'
- How the US Turned Three Pacifists into Violent Terrorists
- Cornel West: Obama 'Is a War Criminal'
- Revealed: How US State Department 'Twists Arms' on Monsanto's Behalf
- Victory in Seattle as Teachers Win Battle in Standardized Test Boycott
Popular content
Today's Top News
'Too Fat' for Empire? Military Generals Target School Lunches
School Lunches Blamed As More Americans Too Overweight To Join The Military
WASHINGTON - School lunches have been called many things, but a group of retired military officers is giving them a new label: national security threat.
A new report being released Tuesday says more than 9 million young adults, or 27 percent of all Americans ages 17 to 24, are too overweight to join the military. (CBS) That's not a reference to the mystery meat
served up in the cafeteria line either. The retired officers are saying
that school lunches have helped make the nation's young people so fat
that fewer of them can meet the military's physical fitness standards,
and recruitment is in jeopardy.
A new report being released Tuesday says more than 9 million young adults, or 27 percent of all Americans ages 17 to 24, are too overweight to join the military. Now, the officers are advocating for passage of a wide-ranging nutrition bill that aims to make the nation's school lunches healthier.
The officers' group, Mission: Readiness, was appearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday with Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The military group acknowledges that other things keep young adults out of the armed services, such as a criminal record or the lack of a high school diploma. But weight problems that have worsened over the past 15 years are now the leading medical reason that recruits are rejected.
Although all branches of the military now meet or exceed recruitment goals, retired Navy Rear Adm. James Barnett Jr., a member of the officers group, says the obesity trend could affect that.
"When over a quarter of young adults are too fat to fight, we need to take notice," Barnett said. He noted that national security in the year 2030 is "absolutely dependent" on reversing child obesity rates.
Recruitment isn't the only problem posed by obesity. According to the report, the government spends tens of millions of dollars every year to train replacements for service members discharged because of weight problems.
This isn't the first time the military has gotten involved in the debate over school lunches. During World War II, military leaders had the opposite problem, reporting that many recruits were rejected because of stunted growth and inadequate nutrition. After the war, military leaders pushed Congress to establish the national school lunch program so children would grow up healthier.
The program was established in 1946, "as a measure of national security," according to the original bill language.
Today, the group is urging Congress to eliminate junk food and high-calorie beverages from schools, put more money into the school lunch program and develop new strategies that help children develop healthier habits.
The school lunch bill, currently awaiting a Senate vote, would establish healthier options for all foods in schools, including vending machine items. The legislation would spend $4.5 billion more over 10 years for nutrition programs.
The Army is already doing its part to catch the problem earlier, working with high schoolers and interested recruits to lose weight before they are eligible for service, says U.S. Army Recruiting Command's Mark Howell. He added that he had to lose 10 pounds himself before he joined the military.
"This is the future of our Army we are looking at when we talk about these 17- to 24-year-olds," Howell said. "The sad thing is a lot of them want to join but can't."
On the Net:- Mission: http://www.missionreadiness.org
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
56 Comments so far
Show AllGenerally it is good thing to fatten them up for the kill.
The military is a national security threat!
Obama's Education Secretary Arne Duncan pioneered military involvement in schools when he was running Chicago schools. Perhaps the obesity issue will give the military an excuse to take over all the schools.
I'd slaughter your children but I can't bend over
Love to rape you but I get so out of breath
Let's not burn the library. I'm too warm already
I was waterboarding a woman and I split my pants!
It's just not going to work
too fat to fight
too chubby to commit international war crimes
too big-boned for atrocities
what a terrible problem to have!
wow.... frightening response...but I get it!!!!
It's good that this group wants to eliminate junk food from the school diet, but if the government would cease in its empire building and endless wars, the military wouldn't have to interject itself into the discussion of kids' obesity.
Actually this is a delightful diversion of thought by the AP.
Blaming the recruitment problem on too many fat kids.
All of the physical jobs (bicycle newspaper route, picking fruit, mowing lawns) I had as a kid during the 60s are now being done by immigrants.
Although I don't have any kids, none of my friends who do have kids would entertain the thought of their kids doing any of the jobs I did. The jobs I see teenagers doing today are mostly non-physical.
There is a General sitting at that table in the Senate in front of the microphones, gazing up at the bobbleheads explaining that the reason we can't "win" is because the kiddies are to heavy to transport over to the battlefield.
What they really want are battlefields closer to home!
So the army wants leaner meat for its dwindling ranks? Is this the attitude we have been reduced to in this country? As if to say the young men and women volunteering to protect and serve are treated as though they are herds of cattle being readied for market? Why doesn't the army simply takeover the schools and run them like a boot camp and then they can have their way from the git go.
"as a measure of national security," "military leaders pushed Congress to establish the national school lunch program so children would grow up healthier."
Now school lunches are a matter of national security. If instead of perpetually preparing for war, what if we instead prepared for peace? And nutrition was enhanced so that we might live a healthy life free of disease like profit from war and preparation for war. Sickness manifests itself in many ways.
I agree. And they might try spending some billions to make our prescription drugs safer and cheaper, our water and air cleaner, and the list could go on and on. There are already people working on getting better food into the schools - for health reasons though, not to make kids fit for military fodder. I suppose the military pressure will assure that it gets done.
There's no money in peace. And America's about making money nothing else.
- what if we instead prepared for peace? (redwood) -
"Do something about Public Law 107-40 or admit that you don't really care" (ICouldBeaVerb).
When you're done with bitching about how bad things are,
and how someone should do something,
go stand in front of a mirror,
and say it again.
"Reflections of a sheeple"
I'm all for better food--in schools and out--and there are good reasons for doing that, but, hey, guys, that you're short on cannon fodder is definitely not one of `em.
When there was a draft and a war goin' on, and young men didn't have a say in the matter, you'd take people if they were breathing, even irregularly.
Now, you're being picky?
Here's an idea. You give up the wars of choice and some of those genuinely stupid, horribly imperial notions about controlling the entire planet and the weapons systems to do that, and there'd be _lots_ of money to make better school lunches. Deal?
"...you'd take people if they were breathing, even irregularly."
...as long as they didn't harbour any murderous psychopathies. heheh.
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant - why not redirect the military to be a national fat farm, a kind of Shrink-your-Bootie camp?
It's funny when one facet of a complex problem complains about another.
Boo-frikkin-yaahh.
We are fast becoming a military nation, but it won't be a new Sparta. It just shows how absurd the military mind can become.It is driven by the paranoia of fear, even to this ridiculous degree.
Our nation is fighting for the interests of capital;ism. Capitalism and corporate junk food is making our youth fat. God Bless America!
"Our nation is fighting for the interests of capital;ism. Capitalism and corporate junk food is making our youth fat"
That's right. Junk food is one of the many pathologies of capitalism. But apparently, if we are to take the article seriously, this is one pathology that directly threatens the muscle on which capitalim depends. It follows that capitalist rulers must be careful to reign in this one pathology (and they will probably succeed in doing so). However, the rulers don't have any need to worry about the many other ways in which capitalism degrades society, as long these other ways don't threaten the capitalist structure too directly.
No. God DAMN amerikkka.
The Rev. Wright is absolutley right.
What is most disturbing is the implication that in the USA the health and welfare of the children is an insufficient reason to improve the quality of school lunches, but producing good cannon fodder is a sufficient reason.
Watching the USA disintegrate reminds me of being stuck in a theater viewing a really awful film.
I am with you! I am sick and there is no way out!!! Where's the nearest Dairy Queen??? (just kidding)
"Watching the USA disintegrate reminds me of being stuck in a theater viewing a really awful film."
In the case of the US, the film would no doubt be Idiocracy.
"Watching the USA disintegrate reminds me of being stuck in a theater viewing a really awful film"
Actually, it is a relief. Knowing that this shitza is hittin' the skids turns out to be something that can keep me calm in the face of the unfolding horror that this country reveals itself to be.
There is that. I have long believed that the USA is the greatest obstacle to long-term human survival and to the improvement of the welfare of the great majority of human beings, present and future.
Wait until some jerk in the back screams "Fire!"
Are school lunches a national security threat?
Is military service hazardous to your health?
If there's a good reason to be obese, then this is it. The corrupt and poisonous food industry in America is loathsome but I loathe the military even further.
So kids, visit McDonald's once a day. You'll die sooner but at least you won't be killing innocent civilians and raping their toddlers overseas.
The greatest threat to the Pax Americana is and always has been internal: the sheer rapaciousness of its' elite as expressed by their economic activities. Said greed is so profound and narcissistic that even realpolitik considerations are overwhelmed by short-term rapacity.
Thus, as school lunches, which were meant to get around the elites greed by providing at least one decent meal a day so children could grow up to be soldiers and defend said elites' interests gun boat diplomacy style, has been undone by the part of the elite that makes their money poisoning the population. If this is not an indication of an elite grown out-of-touch with what keeps them in power, then they more than deserve to be swept away from the scene post haste, as they are incapable of even keeping order within their own class.
There is one thing worse than fascists: incompetent fascists.
And why are the incompetent fascists worse than the competent ones? I think that's the whole point of the militarists' complaint. Shape up, ship out, kill and die for the Empire. But I agree that the elite is so greedy they would rather have cheap fattening food in schools with ketchup as a vegetable than secure the raw material for an effective, well-manned killing machine.Or pay taxes to pay for any of this.
Incompetent fascists are in charge of the Third World.
An odd twist. Usually people worry about nutrition so they can live longer. Here we have the spectacle of old men worrying about the nutrition of other people's children so they can send them off to die younger.
Generals complain about fat? The military it self is the most oversized, top heavy and antiproductive organization in government. Generals and their war-industry-complex keep us in perpetual war, always ready to start an invasion, but never ready to stop profiting from one. The pentagon needs to dramatically reduce all its fat headed generals, and go on a severe fiscal diet. Trillion dollar wars of choice are bankrupting our country, and defaming (not defending) Us. There is no defense, only disgrace, for sending bullets and bombs to murder brown skinned people in third world countries.
Say it again!
This is a joke, right? The killers can retire in their 50s to six-figure pensions but we can't have those kids wretched enough to be schooled in the American public system eating free lunches, nor dare we impose any sort of health standard on all the junk food these kids are eating when NOT at school, for that would be restricting free enterprise.
As Native Son (whither goeth he now?) used to say in these threads:
Good luck, America, you really need it.
Some of them retire in their 40s with not only a sweet pension but affordable medical insurance and other perks.
Are some schools still serving surplus military food? I remember reading in the wake of Desert Storm that some inner city schools received leftover military rations and served it to their students.
Not too many people as stupis as a retired General. They should keep thier mouths shut unless people clue in that these are the guys in charge of "National Security" and wonder how they got their jobs.
The real tragedy is this. The Nations Government would not respond to the issue of malnutrition amongst Americas youth until 1946 when the Military insisted it a national security issue. (Yes Virgina millions of Americans did in fact starve during the depression)
They will not respond to the obesity epidemic unless the Military makes the same claims. In other words it is the MILITARY driving the policies of "Good health".
Yet people will still maintain that the USA is NOT Militaristic.
Can't hungry children be fed because it worng for a nations children to be hungry, and can not obesity be addressed for the good of the child rather then the good of the US Military?
You are correct. It seems that every US citizen wants to 'cut the budget', but when it comes to the "defense" budget, well THAT'S a sacred cow. Can't cut military spending or our SECURITY is placed at risk. The trick is to bring social security, health, education, housing and everything else under the military budget so that it can't be cut. Too fat to serve as a driver, a cook, a typist, an IT specialist, a linguist.... the list goes on of hundreds of MOSs that can be filled by physically handicapped people to include the morbidly obese. Yes, I know, some smart individual will say EVERYBODY has the 011B tag line right out of basic, but perhaps, if we indeed do need an active military, they will re-think the "everybody starts out as a grunt" attitude. But then again, maybe not....
Of course children could be fed because it is wrong for children to be hungry but that is assuming that all people in the country value children and each other. I would contend that we do not value everyone because if we did there is NO WAY we would not have MEDICARE FOR ALL, WORKER OWNED COLLECTIVES (not owner/employee work situations), HOUSING OWNERSHIP OR GUARANTEED HOUSING FOR EVERYONE (no one would be homeless unless they wanted to be), FOOD SECURITY (no ADDITIVES, PRESERVATIVES OR GENETICALLY ALTERED FOODS THAT ARE UNSAFE FOR CONSUMPTION...SHORT OR LONG TERM) and FREE EDUCATION THROUGH COLLEGE.
Based on the current situation, in my opinion, I live in a country that does not value its citizens, non-citizens and envrionment. I say this because there is no way that anyone would go to work or go shopping when those two acts harm others and our planet. Wal-Mart harms both the planet and workers! That is not my opinion...there is PLENTY OF FACTS BACKING UP MY STATEMENT. Yet people work and shop there every fricken day!!! Lockheed Martin builds bombs...by regular people...on the assembly line who are "just doing their job to put food on the table". They don't feel responsible for aiding in war and suffering....they can't otherwise they would quit! But.....these two pieces of evidence back my statement that people in my own country don't care about each other...much less their children or other people's children. JUST DON'T THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND LET THE YOUNGER PEOPLE CLEAN UP THE MESS!
N I C E !!!! (sarcasm)
You blood thirsty bastards get this: I will do whatever I have to to deprive you of using any kids for cannon fodder.
There used to be a fire-and-brimstone radio preacher on Sunday mornings who railed against the evils of alcohol. His favorite example was some general in 19 century Europe who complained that his men lost a battle because they were too drunk to fight.
Fat, drunk, skinny, stupid----anything is better than murdering people you don't know because politicians find it expedient.
One more time: What if they gave a war and nobody came.
thank you
If junk food is keeping kids out of the military, then that is the very first positive argument I have ever heard in favor of kids eating more of it.
He is completely right, we should cut the military budget by atleast 3/4th's and use that money to fund healthy food, and quality health care for the nation. I mean...really, poor nutrition and poor health care are a much bigger security threat to any US citizen than any foreign power. Consider how many have died in wars in our entire nations history, and how many have died due to poor nutrition/health care.
Howell said: " the sad thing is a lot of them want to join but can't ". Hey Mr. recruiter, that is not a sad thing that is a good thing!
maybe kids wanting to join should be counseled against it by groups dedicated to the sanctity of life...shown photos of dead soldiers and innocent civilians...have their positions, frequently founded upon propaganda, rebutted with fact...
these groups could setup tables next to the recruiters in the cafeteria, where the fat kids are eating...
Understand these are retired military officers, With age they may start to see a life of conflicts can only be avoided by extending care to those who may be participants in future actions.
It just gets sweeter each day!
If students ate healthier foods, not only would they not be as fattened up, they would also be less hyper and less prone into joining the military. The MIC thinks that they may have won with their idea of combining healthy foods with the goal of getting more recruits in but I hope this plan fails and more students put up a tough fight against the MIC so that we might finally get a chance at ending the empire building. We need jobs and love here, not sending kids away to wars in one foreign land and their jobs to another for slave wages !
Become lean and mean in order to resist Empire, not join it.
I'm impressed that the retired generals could even reach congresspeople by wading through the gantlet of lobbyists representing ADM, Monsanto, Cargill, Tyson, et al.
Lift the lid on this dust-up between the military and obesity, and what you'll find is a genuine battle of corporate titans including Big Agra (whose profits are dependent upon the corn/soy-derived fattening of USAns), Big Pharma (whose profits are boosted peddling interlocked diabetes, cholesterol and "allergy" treatments) and the reigning heavyweight champ - the MICC.
Healthy food will not be re-introduced in the U.S. without a fight. I'd be happy enough to see all these groups' lobbyists assembled for the world's largest steel-cage death match -- but somehow it seems more likely all three groups will find a way to continue to let the People do all the bleeding.
how can anyone be too fat to pilot a drone?
F**k the military! They have almost destroyed the country already by acting like goons for the oil companies. So, eat up! It won't matter in the long run. They'll destroy the entire place.