Stars and Stripes
ASP in Stars and Stripes: Science-Backed Policy Can Help the Pentagon Fight Military Obesity and Preserve Manpower
On November 9, ASP President Emeritus BGen Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.), published an op-ed in Stars and Stripes explaining the need for science-backed policy to improve military health and fitness while preserving crucial manpower. The article emphasizes the importance of obesity treatment and prevention over punitive measures for service members exceeding body composition standards, arguing that:
“The problem the military faces is not one of laziness or a lapse in discipline. Its real challenge lies in mitigating the structural barriers that make it difficult for service members to manage their weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as long, sedentary hours, insufficient sleep, and suboptimal on-base nutrition. To this end, there are numerous policy solutions the Pentagon can pursue to enhance medical readiness without discharging scores of much-needed personnel.”
The author encourages the Department of War to refine traditional military approaches to weight loss, which rely on intensive exercise and strict dieting, using evidence-based policies grounded in the latest obesity science, noting that:
“Maintaining health and fitness are not new challenges for the military, and neither is [Secretary Pete Hegseth’s] approach to achieving them. If the Department of Defense can adopt proven prevention and treatment measures rather than relying on the same punitive policies that have failed for decades, it will see novel results.”
Read the full op-ed in Stars and Stripes.
