Pete Hegseth Vows to Whip Overweight Troops Into Shape: ‘We Will Be FIT, Not FAT’
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Embattled Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to whip overweight reserve troops into shape on Friday, maintaining that the U.S. military would be “FIT, not FAT.”
“Completely unacceptable,” declared Hegseth in a post on X that included a screenshot a Military Times article headlined “More than two-thirds of reserve troops are overweight: Report.”
“This is what happens when standards are IGNORED — and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness & weight standards are here,” continued Hegseth. “We will be FIT, not FAT.”
From the Military Times report:
More than two-thirds of Guard and Reserve troops are overweight, potentially limiting their readiness and ability to deploy in support of national security, according to a new study released by the American Security Project this week.
“With the diminished size of the [active-duty] force and increasing demands on the National Guard and reserves, service members separated due to obesity and its comorbidities are vital personnel the Armed Forces cannot afford to lose,” researchers wrote in the report.
…
The Defense Department’s latest data on obesity in the reserve components dates back to 2018, when 65% of personnel were classified as overweight or obese. ASP researchers now estimate that figure is closer to 68%.
Past studies have shown the highest rates of weight problems are among Army National Guard members, with about 21% of personnel meeting the definition for obesity.
In his opening statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing, Hegseth declared that, “The Defense Department under Donald Trump will achieve Peace Through Strength. And in pursuing these America First national security goals, we will remain patriotically a-political and stridently Constitutional. Unlike the current administration, politics should play no part in military matters. We are not Republicans or Democrats—we are American warriors. Our standards will be high, and they will be equal (not equitable, that is a very different word).”
“We need to make sure every warrior is fully qualified on their assigned weapon system, every
pilot is fully qualified and current on the aircraft they are flying, and every general or flag
officer is selected for leadership based purely on performance, readiness, and merit,” he added at the time.
