Finally, Somebody Says It

Today, the newspaper USA Today announced that about 300 retired military generals have deemed chilhood obesity and overweight a "national security" matter. This was based on a report that the U.S. military was having difficulty finding healthy recruits whose status allowed them to enlist. The group known as Mission: Readiness, show how high calorie, junk foods and those with empty calories are affecting the military's ability of finding qualified enlistment. Fewer and fewer healthy youth are dwindling as perspective candidates in the armed forces. This echoes what the First Lady has emphasized in recent interviews. The CDC and NIH have both published data that reveal the doubling in American pediatric obesity since the 1980s. Thirty percent of American youth are obese and are now affected with secondary diseases usually seen in obese adults such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and liver disease. Youth learn early from television commercials, radio announcements, digital advertisement and peer pressure to eat high calorie, high fat foods full of sugar. But, the problem to defeat childhood obesity is deeper than what the distinguished group of generals may have suspected. It actually reflects what the country's adult population is going to look like in the next 5 to 10 years where already 60 to 70 % of the current adult population is either overweight or obese(these are usually associated with various chronic diseases). The argument that obesity is a national security measure, based on a shrinking population to select able bodied military is problematic , but extends to a healthy workforce just as dramatically as well. If the current health of the labor force is not capable of high capacity perormance of maintaining a company or country competitive enough for the world market ; where will the nation's standings in a global economy be? Healthcare is a global market, economic , and labor force issue for this nation just as much as it is for the military and its impact may be grossly underestimated when forecasters try to prognosticate the future. "Live long and prosper"

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