Introduction

The Washington Post reports that large numbers of obese soldiers are being fired for failing to pass physical fitness tests. Given that soldiers are expected to maintain a high level of conditioning for physically challenging tasks, this policy does not seem unreasonable. However, it raises questions and some objections, including how were the soldiers who were being laid off allowed to get fat in the first place? Presumably, obese Army folks kept getting one more chance, time after time, after failing to pass the annual testing protocols.

I will summarize the facts of the matter and then offer a REAL wellness alternative. I think there is a better way to deal with obese soldiers than to shoot them and let them go into the cold, without a special opportunity of a positive nature. My solution avoids humiliation and financial hardship. All service personnel deemed unsuitable for duty must have a special opportunity to meet Army performance standards. An effective program that makes this possible will be more humane than layoffs and will save the considerable cost to taxpayers associated with hiring and training replacements. I will outline a positive REAL wellness boot camp idea that could allow troops on their way to re-qualify for service.

Why the looting?

One of the reasons for the firing of obese soldiers is economic. The Army has to cut back, reduce its budget by reducing its size from 570,000 today to 490,000 in 2017. If cuts are to be made, what better place to start than with the weakest links, the heart attacks that are waiting to happen? Did you know that of all the reasons for the rejection of recruits, the number one factor is obesity? In the Washington Post story, overweight troops are considered a national security problem. The severity of the problem is increasing. In a period of two years, the number of obese soldiers tripled! Two years ago, more than five percent of the Army, 86,183 members of our combat force, were obese.

How are we going to be the police force of the whole world if so many of our invaders are so out of shape? As of November this year, “1,625 soldiers were fired for being out of shape.” This is almost 16 times the number discharged for that reason in 2007. (Source: Ernesto Londoño, Growing Number of Soldiers Fired for Failing to Pass Physical Fitness Tests, Washington Post, December 10, 2012).

The first large declines in morbidly obese soldiers came after the Desert Storm. In 1991, just over 3,000 soldiers were laid off. It is worth noting that it is not only personnel in uniform that are affected by the obesity factor: no less than 75 percent of civilians who wanted to join the force were ineligible due to weight. Additionally, a quarter of those who qualified on BMI assessments failed to pass the physical fitness requirements, according to the Post’s report.

How pathetic is that?

ROYAL WELLNESS BOOT CAMP

Designing the REAL wellness curriculum would require a period of research and evaluation by the military with the participation of a variety of health promotion advisers. My hope is that, unlike corporate-level workplace wellness programs, there is little or no risk reduction or medical management; there are VA and other resources available for these services. REAL Wellness Boot Camp would focus on the four foundational areas, addressing all sorts of life-enriching topics such as studies of values, meaning and purpose, theory and practice of change, resilience, mindfulness, relationship and communication skills, and the like. .

Even if obese Army folks grappling with the boot don’t lose enough weight to return to duty or simply choose not to return after graduating from wellness boot camp, the experience will still be invaluable. It will help troops deal with common transition problems. These include problems associated with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a variety of life changes that occur during long periods of separation from family, the job market, and civil society. If the idea caught the military, why stop there? What about modified versions of REAL Wellness Boot Camp for juvenile offenders, drunk drivers, couples in crisis, etc.?

As for the military version created to deal with outgoing obese soldiers in the ever-so-civilized and improved training grounds, I will volunteer to design the initial program and participate in all physical endurance training activities. But with a few conditions: no jumping out of planes or required obstacle courses with explosions and real bullets flying overhead. Let’s keep the fitness focus on swimming, cycling, running and other sensible and peaceful things.

Good wishes and good luck to you.