Obesity Epidemic Threatens US Military As 33 Percent Of Young Adults Unfit To Serve

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The obesity epidemic in the United States is now gaining the attention of the military.

One out of every three Americans, ages 17 to 24, is considered overweight or obese, which means they cannot qualify for military services, shrinking the recruitment pool.

The obesity rate among active service members is about eight to 10 percent.

To combat the problem, the Army began implementing a new test that measures recruits physical fitness before they ship out to basic training.