Young people interested in joining the military may want to step on a scale first to make sure their weight qualifies them for service.
Recently, a Pentagon official told a congressional committee the obesity rate among potential recruits was “a crisis in this country,” the American Forces Press Service reports.
Curtis Gilroy spoke to the House Armed Services Committee and reported approximately 48,000 potential service members flunked military physical standards since fiscal year 2005, according to the article.
Potential service members who need to experience significant weight loss in order to be eligible may want to look into a diet that is moderately high in protein.
According to a research published in Marchs Journal of Nutrition, such a diet may help a person with long-term weight loss without losing their muscle, which may be another important aspect for military recruits.
In the study, the group that was most successful followed a diet that consisted of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fat. After four months, this group lost 22 percent more body fat when compared to a group that followed the USDAs food-guide pyramid.