Fighting Fat: Obese recruits now welcome as US Air Force tweaks recruiting rules

New Delhi: Fatter American will now be able to join the US Air Force as the military branch has opted to ease its recruiting struggles by inducting millions of obese young people, according to a report. According to Military.com website, citing US Air Force Recruiting Service spokeswoman Leslie Brown, as per the new guidelines male recruits will be allowed to carry up to 26 per cent body fat, while females will have a limit of 36 per cent body fat. The previous limits were 20 per for males and 28 per cent for females. “I can’t stress enough, we are not lowering our standards,” the website quoted Brown as saying. Rather, the Air Force is “aligning” its rules with a Pentagon directive issued last year, she added. She said that policy document required that all service members maintain a level of fitness and body composition to successfully perform all of their duties. Obesity is defined as a body fat percentage of 25 or higher in men by the American Council on Exercise. For women, the obese category begins at 32 per cent. Allowing obese recruits will provide the Air Force with a large pool of potential recruits. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, 39.8 per cent of Americans aged 20 to 39 are obese. The US Army and Navy offer physical fitness preparatory courses - called pre-boot camp in the Army’s case – to give prospects who exceed body fat limits a chance to get in good enough shape to enlist. 50 to 100 new enlistees each month According to the report, the Air Force has estimated that it will be able to recruit an additional 50 to 100 new enlistees each month under its revised body fat limits. The new hires will later need to pass standard fitness tests, including a requirement for waist-to-height ratio, to stay in the Air Force, the report added. Of the 34 million Americans in Generation Z – those born after 1997 – nearly 71 per cent are ineligible for military service, most commonly because of obesity, according to 2017 Pentagon data. Other common disqualifying factors include medical conditions, criminal records, drug use and failure to earn a high school diploma. The Air Force has estimated that it will miss its recruiting goal for this year by around 10 per cent, even after taking various steps to attract more enlistees. For example, it relaxed rules to allow recruits with tattoos on their neck and hands, and it launched a programme to allow those who tested positive for THC to retest. Student loan repayment of up to $65,000 is included in recruiting bonuses. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .