Childhood Obesity Is Already a National Security Issue
A public health, epidemiological, and national security analysis of the strategic impact of childhood obesity in the 21st century. Leer este artículo en Español: Version español For many years, claiming that childhood obesity could become a national security concern would have sounded like rhetorical exaggeration. Today, however, such a statement is not only defensible but supported by official data from the United States government itself. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and analyses from the Department of Defense warn of a troubling reality: the growing prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles among young people is significantly reducing the number of citizens eligible for military service. What was once viewed as an individual medical challenge has evolved into a population-level phenomenon with strategic implications for the future of a nation. For decades, obesity was primarily understood as a clinical issue linked to personal ha...