Military official calls for elimination of fast food on bases to improve soldiers’ health

As the military grapples with a growing number of clinically obese soldiers, removing fast-food restaurants from military bases could play a critical role in curbing obesity rates among soldiers, a senior U.S. military official said, according to a report by Military times.

“If you want to reduce obesity, serve different types of food in the cafeteria,” said Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Troy E Black, the senior noncommissioned officer to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown, in an interview late last month at the “MOPs and MOEs“podcast. “Immediately remove all fast food restaurants from all installments.”

While Black noted that the dining halls have signed contracts with the Department of Defense and therefore have stricter standards regarding the nutritional quality of the food they serve, “unfortunately, you can’t compete with a cheeseburger” when there are fast-food restaurants on base. Many American military bases have Lease and franchise agreements with fast food restaurants – such as Arby’s, Dairy Queen, Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s and Panda Express – and offer them as amenities.

According to an October report by American security projectNearly 70% of soldiers are either overweight or obese, and Department of Defense data shows that obesity rates among soldiers have more than doubled in the past decade, from 10% to 21%.