National obesity rates are a danger to national security | Opinion

Seventy-two percent of young adults, age 18-24, are ineligible to join the military. Of the five main reasons, overweight/obesity is easily at the top of the list, yet is the easiest to fix if caught early in infancy and elementary/middle school.

The five reasons for ineligibility are Overweight/Obese, 30%, No High School Diploma/GED, 25%, Criminal History, 10%, Failed the Armed Forces Qualification Test, 6% and a plethora of Other Health Reasons(asthma, eyesight, ADHD, mental health, etc), 29%.

One of the reasons for America’s overweight epidemic in young people is all the high fructose corn syrup in almost all the soft drinks, particularly the kids meals that our kids grew up on since infancy. Historically, kids meals are a staple for young mothers at drive-through windows.

Instead of quenching your thirst, the sugars in high fructose corn syrup cause one to eat and drink even more, leading to less physical activity to burn it off. Proof of this is how many unfit and overweight children we have throughout the United States.

We must start a nation-wide awareness campaign of this epidemic. The next step is to identify where all this high fructose corn syrup is showing up in and how to eliminate it from the diet of children and young adults.

Besides all the sugary soft drinks served to our children at fast food outlets, another culprit is the soda fountain at gas stations. Unlimited access to large sugary soft drinks must be addressed as to the damage it is doing to our American bodies.

One solution to the free-flowing soda fountain kiosk is to post warning signs of the obesity/diabetes dangers of high fructose corn syrup and large fountain drinks. This should also be done at the coffee kiosks as too often we see customers pour large amounts of sugar and sugar-substitutes into their coffee.

We should demand kids meals be switched to milk and non-sugared orange juice only. It is not an unreasonable request that local ordinances be passed to protect the public from sweeteners that cut off our circulation and limbs later in life.

If the labeling on cigarette packs worked as a campaign to address lung cancer, then it’s high time we address America’s growing belly, as well.

Currently, the Navy League-Kentucky Council and its 200+ individual veterans have endorsed this concern on behalf of our military. Many educators, coaches, Olympians, colonels, generals, admirals and professional athletes have also endorsed this concern that something must be done.

It is a silent epidemic like carbon monoxide poisoning with the injuries and deaths in our homes and rentals. Unfortunately, few want to discuss it because they don’t want to admit their child or grandchild is fat. Comparing ourselves to each other, we say we are not fat.

Comparing ourselves to our parents and grandparent’s generations, we are obese. In other words, we are afraid to address it because we would be shaming those close to us.

Lack of physical activity is also addressed in this epidemic because it is a byproduct of being overweight. We can play, exercise, workout and walk all we want but until we address what is causing our massive weight gain, we are swimming against the tide.

It has been said that Europeans can pick American tourists out easily from a distance, just by our size alone. Not coincidentally, they have no soft drink fountains in their gas stations nor many outlets for kids meals and large soft drinks.

Another solution to this poor fitness epidemic is to bring back the President’s Council on Physical Fitness that was prevalent in the thin-decades of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. As children back then, we all remember getting certificates for completing a certain number jumping jacks, push­ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, rope-climb, etc. Adding it back as a requirement for going to the next grade level should be considered in order for our children to stay thin and fit.

What are your ideas and solutions? Write your congressman and state/local representatives and tell them you want this silent epidemic weighing on our children and national security addressed.

Ike Lawrence is a past National Director of Navy League U.S. and is the current executive director of Lexington Squash Racquets Association

This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 12:23 PM.