Air Force increases body fat limits to improve recruitment: Media Miss

The Air Force is changing its body fat limits for new members as it faces a recruitment shortfall. The service expects to miss its active-duty recruiting goal by 10% in 2023, and it hopes that the new policy will help to increase its pool of eligible candidates.

Under the new rules, men can have a maximum of 26% body fat, up from 20%, and women can have up to 36%, up from 28%. However, the fitness standards for all recruits will remain the same.

The Air Force’s decision to increase its body fat limits comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that “obesity and physical inactivity are impacting national security.” According to the agency, only 2 in 5 young adults are both weight-eligible and adequately active to serve in the military.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, in a statement posted on the CDC’s website, said, “The military has experienced increasing difficulty in recruiting soldiers as a result of physical inactivity, obesity, and malnutrition among our nation’s youth.”

The Army has also struggled with recruitment and has made changes to attract more candidates. This year, it expanded a pre-basic training course that enlists people who don’t meet the weight and aptitude standards.

Straight Arrow News aims to identify when stories are being underreported on either side of the political aisle and media landscape. This story is a Media Miss for left-leaning outlets, with most sources reporting it being either left-leaning or center-oriented outlets, according to Ground.News.