Obesity and Its Relation to Physical Fitness in the U.S. Military

In: Armed forces & society: official journal of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society : an interdisciplinary journal, Band 18, Heft 4, S. 497-513

Abstract

As the result of new emphasis placed upon physical fitness and body fatness in June 1981 (DoD directive no. 1308.1), obesity has largely disappeared from the armed forces. Each service has developed an upperlimit for body fat based on one or more of the following criteria: physical performance, military appearance, and health. Physical fitness or the capacity for physical performance is related to body fatness and/or muscularity, depending on the nature of the physical task. Aerobic fitness (e.g., running) is negatively related to body fat content but unrelated to strength fitness, while strength fitness (e.g., lifting) is unrelated to fatness but positively related to muscle mass. Implementation and enforcement of standards for both fatness and muscularity will increase physical readiness and conserve manpower of our military forces.