White Paper — Costs and Consequences: Obesity’s Compounding Impact on the Military Health System
The United States Armed Forces face an unprecedented challenge as obesity rates across the services continue to rise. With active-duty manpower at an all-time low, strategies like loosening fitness standards, granting weight waivers, and retaining service members with obesity have been vital to ensure sufficient force strength. As a result, the estimated cost of obesity in active-duty service members now exceeds $1.35 billion annually, with direct care costs comprising $1.25 billion and productivity losses due to hospital stays costing an additional $99 million in 2023. Even under the best circumstances, military fitness programs reduce body weight by less than 1% in active-duty military populations, and none have been proven to maintain weight loss over time. Implementing evidence-based obesity treatment programs would significantly improve military readiness, save the Military Health System at least one billion dollars annually, significantly decrease veteran disability ratings, and facilitate the continuing recruitment of capable personnel.
White Paper – Costs and Con… by The American Security Project
