The American soldier is getting out of shape: 19% of US military personnel are already obese or overweight, and the Pentagon is forced to spend about $1.5 billion annually on their treatment, citing a recent study. At the same time, it is unlikely that it will be possible to find healthy recruits to replace them. Every third of young men in America is unfit for service due to obesity, and in general, 71% of potential recruits are currently unfit for one reason or another.

The Russian and Chinese army personnel are spectacularly fit and far outnumber U.S. armed forces personnel.

So, the United States wants to fight with China, and with Russia, and in the Middle East – but can they do it, given that the troops are in such terrible shape? Not according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, their latest report on how unfit our youth are for the military. According to the estimates given in the document, every third adult young man is too heavy and cannot be enlisted in the troops. Every fifth child and two out of five adults face a similar problem.

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This study goes on to say that by 2020, 19 percent of active-duty military personnel were obese, up from 16 percent in 2015. It turns out that the story of Steve Rogers, the so-called Captain America, whom we love to shove everywhere, because we, well, you remember, have the ‘best’ soldiers in the world.

But now look at the cost to American taxpayers of such a high proportion of obese military personnel: It says that the cost of providing medical care to military personnel suffering from obesity-related illnesses is about $1.5 billion annually; 

The Ministry of Defense spends this kind of money on current and former military personnel, as well as on replacing that part of the personnel that becomes unfit for service. It is also noted that due to the loss of work capacity of active-duty military personnel due to obesity and excess weight, the armed forces lose 658 thousand workdays per year, which costs them approximately $103 million annually.

The number of citizens willing to serve is dwindling: A Wall Street Journal article from earlier this year warning that the Army, according to its own statements, will meet recruiting targets with a 15,000 shortfall, the Navy 10,000 short, and the Air Force 3,000 short. 

According to the Pentagon, 9 percent of young people are considering joining the military. Previously this figure was 13 percent. If only 9 percent of young people are considering service, but of those 71 percent are unfit for service due to obesity, criminal records or lack of education, that leaves about 2.6 percent. It should be 29 percent of 9 percent, since 71 percent of people are unfit for service but still, there are 2.6 percent of people fit and ready for service. PLEASE SHARE OUR STORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA