Overweight and obesity do not spare the ranks of the British Royal Army. 11% of troops in service since 2011 have failed semi-annual physical tests, according to the Sunday Times.
“Too big to fight”, headlines the Sunday Times. According to figures obtained by the British newspaper, over 32,000 members of the royal army are overweight or at risk for lifestyle diseases (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease). A bad metabolic form which directly impacts the physical capacities of these supposedly perfect people.
13 dismissals for obesity
The British army is however very strict: twice a year, each soldier submits to a personal assessment. Those under 30 should do 44 push-ups in two minutes, 50 sit-ups in two minutes, and run 2.5 km in 10:30 minutes. Requirements are reduced as age increases. Passing this test is imperative, and those who fail must retake it within 7 days or face penalties or dismissal. But for 3 years, they are 29,600 men and 2,819 women to have failed the half-yearly test, or 11% of the troops in service over this period according to the Ministry of Defense. Worse: they are even 13 who had to leave the army in 2011 because of their obesity.
Too rich meals
How can we explain that members of the military can also be affected by obesity? The food offered at the mess is the first problem, according to an officer. “Part of the problem lies in the appalling regime adopted by many soldiers,” he told the Sunday Times. “They can eat salads and low-calorie dishes, but they can also choose a full breakfast, fries for lunch, fries for dinner, and indigestible pudding afterwards. Not to mention that members of the military can, if they wish, eat early and return to the mess for a snack.
These revelations shock Professor David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum, questioned by the Sunday Times : “I would have thought it was the army’s job to keep them in good shape no matter what the circumstances and, if they aren’t, to get them in good shape. “
“Cushy” jobs
But food is not the only culprit. A former physical instructor with the Coldstream Guards points out that the army is not only made up of combatants: “A large number of soldiers have a cushy job in the army, and leave aside physical training, which could explain why they fail the test, ”says Matthew White. And the phenomenon is not isolated: 10% of the South African army is overweight or obese. In France, a thesis presented in 2012 reported that among the gendarmes and the Republican Guard in Île-de-France, overweight reached 38% and obesity 8%. The American army, it fights with firmness obesity and overweight.
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