A new report in April 2010 said that American’s have become “too fat to fight!” The report said that due to the unhealthy school lunches our nation is raising young men and women that are out of shape and obese. Schools are feeding kids junk food such as French fries, pizza and other unhealthy foods which is making it impossible for them to handle the physical rigors expected in military training. The report states “National security is threatened by the sharp rise in obesity rates for young people over the last 15 years, the group Mission: Readiness contends. Weight problems are now the leading medical reason that recruits are rejected, the group says, and thus jeopardize the military's ability to fill its ranks.”
As an honorably discharged US Marine Corps Reserves Sergeant, martial arts instructor, IYCA Youth Fitness Specialist and strength and conditioning coach this frightens and saddens me. As a child growing up I remember that the stereotype of the physique of an American male was tall and lean. Today when people around the world think of Americans they think of an obese hamburger, French fry eating person. Yet, there is nothing new under the sun. The fitness level of Americans has slowly been declining since WWI. In a similar report after World War One the military was concern with the physical level of recruits and then again in the mid-sixties the military posted a similar report. So as you can see the decline of the health of Americans started almost a century ago.
The raise of the fast food restaurants and school cafeteria meals is only part of the problem. The other part of the problem started around the 1920’s when organize sports took over the school systems physical fitness program. Before that time the average school gym had space for bodyweight exercises. Kids would learn to move their bodies by learning gymnastic type movements with their bodies and on equipment; they would train with Indian clubs and do all kinds of exercise with ropes. They would also learn to box, grapple and fencing which were the popular martial arts of that era. This would strengthen the body and prepare them for team sports and for life. Today, most kids do not exercise their bodies functionally. They eat fast foods, un-healthy school lunch and are thrown in to do team sports without conditioning their bodies.
To keep our nation strong and our children fit it must start at home. Eliminate junk food from your diet and move with your children. If your child is doing a team sport have them cross train in a martial arts/physical conditioning class. Until the school board changes the menu to a healthier version you can prepare a healthy bag lunch for your child. If you want to see some videos on fun functional training log on to my website www.SuperFitKids.com. Together we can help fight childhood obesity and re-make America into a fit and fearless nation.
