UK troops are overweight, just like the rest of us!

Last week the Guardian published an article regarding overweight British troops, resulting in the war effort being hampered.

The article details how many troops are overweight, and as a result cannot be sent to Helmand.

A leaked memo describes how basic fitness policy is not being carried out, and there are worrying concerns by military commanders that a worrying trend of obesity is preventing the deployment of soliders to Afghanistan.

In order for the problem to be solved, the army must reinvigorate a warrior ethos, successfully fulfilling the army’s basic fitness regime of two hours of physical activity a week.

With the rise in obesity not only in the UK but all across the world, the army was the one place where you could still find healthy regimes and disciplined routines.

With this recent information coming to light, it seems that the problems associated with obesity have managed to creep into the army as well.

However, whilst the negatives associated with obesity for the average person consist of an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, along with other health issues, many people are happy with their weight, and one can argue that the harm obesity is causing is to the person carrying the extra weight.

This completely changes when talking about obesity in the army.

A country’s military force is one of its most important factors. Britain, especially, needs a strong and healthy army seeing as it is currently at war.

An army of soldiers that cannot be deployed due to obesity raises a number of serious issues, not to mention depicts our country as weak and unhealthy.

A second issue of equal importance is the lives of our soldiers. Those that are overweight and unhealthy will not be able to deal with the stresses and strains war puts on both your body and your mind.

This will result in more casualties and fatalities, which could easily have been avoided.

Whilst it is somewhat comforting to see that battling with weight not only effects us, but also those who are trained to be fighting fit, it is still a deep concern that our nation’s army is not fit enough for battle.

The army is the collection of people in who we entrust our lives and our safety, to protect everything that we stand for.

If they are unfit to fight for us, then who will?