What would happen if our country was suddenly unable to defend itself? To the average American, this is a question rarely considered due to our superpower status, however, our pool of able-bodied military candidates is shrinking, and many are calling for a solution that will positively influence lives today as well as our future generations of service men and women.
America depends on fit men and women to protect us, but according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), just over 1 in 3 young adults aged 17-24, which account for 90% of applicants for service, is too heavy to serve in our military. In fact, qualifying as overweight or obese are among the top three reasons that 71% of young Americans could not join the military if they wanted to.
Additionally, obesity significantly impacts the country’s law enforcement and first responder community. The Wall Street Journal issued a report that more than 40% of police officers, firefighters, and security officers are obese. Similarly, the FBI conducted a study that found 80% of police officers are overweight.
Obesity is a major problem in America, and it warrants our utmost attention. This disease does not discriminate against age and is unfortunately a generational problem. In the U.S., around 55% of obese children go on to be obese in adolescence, around 80% of obese adolescents will still be obese in adulthood and around 70% will be obese over the age of 30. According to the CDC, 41.5% of adults aged 60 and older are obese. This epidemic spans the generations and, according to the Benioff Children’s Hospital, a child with one obese parent has a 50% chance of being obese. When both parents are obese, their children have an 80% chance of obesity.
Historically obesity was viewed as a purely cosmetic issue, but over the last decade, we’ve seen a shift as the American Medical Association in 2013 voted to officially recognize obesity as a disease requiring treatment and prevention efforts. Elevating our attention to obesity brought with it an entirely new understanding of the disease and its tremendous threats to health. Now doctors can better identify the risks associated with obesity, including chronic conditions like heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes. Mental health is also at risk as depression and anxiety are common with this disease. It’s clear today that obesity does not just impact the number on the scale, nor does it solely impact the person struggling with it. It’s critical that we take and treat obesity seriously if we’re to improve lives today and those of our future generations.
Promoting healthy nutrition and healthy lifestyles including adequate exercise, a balanced diet, and reducing alcohol and tobacco use are, of course, important, but unfortunately just scratch the surface of the reality we currently face. There are, however, several Anti-Obesity Medications (AOMs) that are FDA-approved and provide safe, efficient treatment options for obese Americans. These drugs can improve the health of the 42% of Americans living with obesity and have the chance to radically alter the course for generations to come. However, there’s a big obstacle in the way of those seeking this non-invasive treatment. AOMs are not currently covered by Medicare–even though some surgeries to treat obesity are covered–as drugs labeled as “weight loss” or “weight gain” agents have long been excluded due to their seemingly cosmetic nature.
In good news, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA), which attempts to expand Medicare to include coverage of AOMs, was recently reintroduced, and it’s critical we offer unanimous support behind policy of this kind to address the health crisis of obesity that is plaguing our country. This is not a partisan issue, reflected by TROA’s bipartisan authorship, nor is it an issue only impacting those diagnosed with the disease. As U.S. Senator and TROA bill author Bill Cassidy noted, addressing obesity “benefits us all.”
Obesity is gaining ground at a rapid pace, and as the disease count climbs towards affecting nearly half of our population, we must take immediate action. Protecting our national interest should be held to the utmost regard and expanding coverage of AOMs for those over 65 through TROA is a positive first step to alleviating generational obesity. It is a commonsense solution for our parents and grandparents that will have a positive impact not only on their families, but on our future generations, military readiness and first responder health.
Editor's Note: The above guest column was penned by Robert “Duke” Bodisch, Sr. Bodisch served as deputy director and chief of staff at the Texas Department of Public Safety before retiring in 2018. He also served 33 years in the Texas State Guard, where he held the rank of major general between 2014-2021, and commanding general of from 2017-2021. The column appears in The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service with the permission of the author.
