https://crsreports.congress.gov
December 22, 2020
Obesity in the United States and Effects on Military Recruiting
Background
Congress has a sustained interest in maintaining capable
military forces. To this end, a population of healthy and
eligible recruits is important to sustain the military services
and meet the annual requirements established by Congress.
Though many aspects of health are important, a 2016
Department of Defense (DOD) report found that obesity
was one of the main disqualifiers from joining U.S. military
service.
Obesity in the United States is not a new issue. A report
published in Health Economics in 2012 estimated that the
percentage of military-age adults ineligible for enlistment
because of excessive body fat more than doubled for men
and tripled for women during 1959-2008. Since 2008, the
percentage of obese youth has continued to increase. The
increasing proportion of obese American youth reduces the
pool of eligible military recruits. This trend may pose
particular challenges with recruiting highly-qualified
individuals to service in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Obesity in the United States
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) defines obesity in children (2 to 19 years of age) as
those with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th
percentile for BMI based on the child’s age and sex. For
adults, CDC classifies obesity as those with a BMI of 30 or
greater. Though BMI—the ratio of weight in kilograms
divided by height in meters squared— does not measure
body fat directly, it is strongly associated with direct
measurements of body fat and adverse health outcomes.
In 2017-2018, the most recent years for which CDC adult
data are available, obesity prevalence—the proportion of
the population who have obesity in a given time period —
was 42% in adults (age 20 years or older). Among
adolescents (age 12 to 19 years old), obesity prevalence was
21% in 2015-2016, the most recent years for which CDC
childhood obesity data are available. These CDC estimates
are from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES) data. NHANES consists of participant
interviews and physical examinations.
Obesity affects some populations more than others. For
example, in 2015-2016, obesity prevalence was 26% among
Hispanic children and 22% among non-Hispanic Black
children, compared to 14% in non-Hispanic White children.
In adults, in 2017-2018, non-Hispanic Black adults had the
highest prevalence of obesity (50%), followed by Hispanic
adults (45%), and non-Hispanic White adults (42%).
Based on geographic location, adult obesity prevalence was
highest (greater than 35% of the overall U.S. population) in
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, and West Virginia (see Figure 1). The Midwest
(34%) and the South (33%) were the two regions that
represented the highest prevalence of obesity.
Figure 1. Prevalence of Self-Reported Obesity among
U.S. Adults by State and Territory, 2019
Source: CDC, “Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps,” found at
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html.
Note: Data based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
(BRFSS), the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey
system.
Military Recruiting Efforts
DOD Instruction 1304.26 establishes minimum physical
standards for recruitment and retention; the military
services can also include additional requirements. Military
physical standards began in 1775. The military services
issued the first weight standards in 1887 for men and in
1942 for women. The original function of these standards
was to exclude underweight individuals. In recent decades,
however, far more applicants for military service have been
found to be unfit for duty for being overweight.
Since the 1970s, disqualification from joining the military
based on inability to meet established weight standards has
risen. A RAND Corporation analysis of the evolution of the
all-volunteer force discusses increasing physical
disqualification rates as the draft was being phased out in
1972. The Services currently use a body composition test
based on height and weight to determine body fat
percentages. Alternatively, measurements at the waist and
neck are also used to calculate body fat percentages in the
military.
To meet annual personnel goals and fill entry-level
positions, the military services recruit approximately
175,000 new active duty enlisted servicemembers every
