American kids "too fat to fight", warn U.S. generals

[revelarts]

"...Rising rates of obesity among young Americans could undermine the future of the US military, two retired generals have warned...."

My reactions to this are all over the board...

---Laughter
-- sadness for the kids
--- Yeah! we don't need to be in wars in ever country anyway
-- why are US generals the ones that have to point this out in a way that people might do something about it
--- Adds to my suspicion that the US has been breed as a martial nation
--- Back in WW2 the Germans where worried about all those healthy, gun tottin U.S. farm boys, today mm-- maybe if we all fought future wars with video games from home and Cheetos rations will be feared.
--- the Military industrial complex can probably beat back the Big Agra if it put it's mind too it and backed the people in getting good food rather than GMOed cloned ,hormone dosed nutured foods to plates again.
--- mental picture ...laughter--

US youngsters are too fat to fight, warn generals
Rising rates of obesity among young Americans could undermine the future of the US military, two retired generals have warned.

More than a quarter of young Americans are now too fat to fight, they said.

Writing in the Washington Post, the ex-commanders said the fat crisis ruled out more potential military service recruits than any other medical factor.

They want Congress to introduce laws to give US children better nutrition in schools, with less sugar, salt and fat.

John Shalikashvili and Hugh Shelton, both former chairmen of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote: "Obesity rates threaten the overall health of America and the future strength of our military."

"We consider this problem so serious from a national security perspective that we have joined more than 130 other retired generals, admirals and senior military leaders in calling on Congress to pass new child nutrition legislation," the commanders added.

The warning comes amid mounting fears that childhood obesity has turned into an "epidemic" affecting an astonishing one in three young American people.

Mr Shalikashvili and Mr Shelton pointed to post-school lunch laws from 1946, which recognised that poor nutrition reduced the pool of military recruits.

"We must act, as we did after World War II, to ensure that our children can one day defend our country, if need be."

Obesity rates in the US have surged over the last year, according to one report .

The Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found adult obesity rates rose in 23 of the 50 states, but fell in none.