A matter of national security: Nutrition, obesity affecting military readiness, generals say

During World War II, approximately 40% of recruits couldn’t enlist due to poor nutrition. Today, over 70% of would-be recruits are ineligible for a number of contributing factors, including nutrition and obesity. It’s become a matter of national security, according to an organization of retired generals.

"Seventy years ago, a military leader said a lack of nutritional food in our children and young adults contributed to military readiness," said retired Army Maj. Gen. Larry Harrington. "We've made some improvements but we have a long, long way to go."

Mission: Readiness is a national group made up of over 75 retired admirals and general across the country that focuses on helping children stay in school, in shape and out of trouble. The organization issued a report Wednesday, Improving Childhood Nutrition in Mississippi, that highlighted the need for federally funded programs that give children access to fresh and healthy food. 

Wednesday morning, three generals from Mission: Readiness met with agencies from across Mississippi in a roundtable discussion in Jackson about child nutrition.

Nationally, 72% of those 17 to 24 years old are not able to qualify for the military due to lack of education, criminal background, substance abuse or medical disqualifiers. Mississippi has the highest rate of ineligibility in the nation, with 76% of eligible 17- to 24- year-olds not being able to qualify, said retired Army Brig. Gen. Roger Shields.

Obesity is one of the leading disqualifiers, he said. Twenty-five percent of 10- to 17- year-olds were obese in the state in 2018, while 40% of adults were obese.

"We believe that America must prioritize efforts to combat childhood obesity as a matter of national security," Shields said in a written statement released after the roundtable. "Improving access to fresh and nutritious foods for all children will help reduce childhood obesity and ultimately ensure that the military has a pool of recruits."

There is a "network" of federal nutrition programs available across Mississippi working to combat the issue but many don't know what is available to them, said retired Army Maj. Gen. Augustus Collins, a former adjutant general of Mississippi. 

Collins cited the National School Lunch Program, Summer Food Service Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). 

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According to the Mission: Readiness report, in 1945, Gen. Lewis Hershey, director of the Selective Service System, testified in front of Congress that at least 40% of recruits were rejected during World War II for reasons released to poor nutrition. 

The National School Lunch program was founded the following year "to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children by ensuring they have access to nutritious meals," Collins said.

Recalling Hershey's testimony, Collins said, "The lack of nutritious food for our children is actually a threat to national security."

"It was back in World War II and it is today," he said.

Statistics: Nutrition, obesity and the military 

• In Mississippi, 76% of youth between the ages of 17 and 24 cannot serve in the military due to issues such as lack of education, a record of crime or substance abuse, or medical disqualifiers; higher than the national average of 71%. 
• Mississippi has the highest rate of ineligibility among all 50 states. 
• Obesity is one of the main medical disqualifiers. Individuals who would otherwise be eligible to serve in the military are being disqualified due to excess weight. 
• In Mississippi, nearly 40% of adults and 25% of children ages 10-17 were obese in 2018, the highest in the nation. In some counties, the percentage increases to 45.
• Mississippi has the second highest rate of child food insecurity in the country. In 2016, over 24% of Mississippi children experienced food insecurity. The national average is 18 percent. 
• Between 2015 and 2017, over 17% of all households in Mississippi experienced food insecurity.
• Children who experience food insecurity are at a higher rate for obesity. 
• Mississippi has the highest rate of SNAP participation in the country at 17%. 
• In Mississippi, 37,000 participants, or 7% of National School Lunch Program participants, accessed the Summer Food Service Program, meaning a large majority of students may not have access to healthy food during the summer break.
  Source:  Mission: Readiness report, Improving Childhood Nutrition in Mississippi.

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Contact Sarah Fowler at 601-961-7303 or sfowler@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.