Writing in the Washington Post on Friday, retired US army generals John M. Shalikashvili and Hugh Shelton, referred to several sources, including the US Army’s own analysis of national data that shows as of 2005, and the figures have changed little since, 27 per cent of Americans aged 17 to 24, some 9 million young adults, were too overweight to serve in the military.

The leading medical reason recruits are rejected for military service in the US today is being overweight or obese, wrote Shalikashvili and Shelton, both members of the executive advisory council of Mission: Readiness, a nonprofit organization of retired senior military leaders, who referred also to a recent report from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research that showed over the last 15 years the proportion of potential recruits who have not passed their physical exam because of their weight has gone up nearly 70 per cent.

This is backed up by data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who report that the number of states where 40 per cent or more of young adults are overweight or obese has risen dramatically from only one in 1998 to 39 in 2008.

This not the first time the military has spoken out about how the health of America’s children poses a threat to national security: the last time was in 1945 when they expressed concern about the poor health and nutrition of potential recruits, and Congress responded by creating a national school lunch program.

But it appears that the school lunch program has now gone too far in fuelling children with calorie-laden french fries, pizza and other unhealthy foods.

About 40 per cent of American children’s calories are consumed during school hours, and Mission: Readiness proposes that if properly managed, the school environment could be the key to getting children to eat more healthily, as suggested in a recent paper published in Health Affairs in March, where researchers from Rice University and the University of Houston concluded that the most effective way to combat obesity in poor children is to increase their participation in federal nutrition programs.

Shalikashvili and Shelton note that saving some of the $75 billion dollars the US spends every year on obesity-related medical expenses could pay for school districts to provide children with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and cut down on foods with too much sugar, salt, fat and calories.

Mission: Readiness wants Congress to pass new child nutrition legislation that:

• Takes the junk food and high-calorie drinks out of schools.
• Brings in new standards for school meals based on the latest Institute of Medicine recommendation: the current ones are 15 years out of date.
• Supports the Obama administration’s proposed increase of $1 billion per year for 10 years for improved child nutrition programs.
• Develops researched and proven ways for schools to help parents and children adopt healthy eating and exercise habits for life.

Retired Navy Rear Adm. James Barnett Jr, a member of the officers group, said at a recent press conference held by Mission: Readiness , that national security in the year 2030 is “absolutely dependent” on reversing child obesity rates.

“When over a quarter of young adults are too fat to fight, we need to take notice,” said Barnett, according to a report by Associated Press.

The obesity problem doesn’t just affect recruitment, Mission: Readiness reports that the government spends tens of millions of dollars every year replacing military personnel that have to be discharged because of weight issues.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) recently commended the call to increase funds for school nutrition programs, and pointed out that while a lot is already happening, there are problems where more money would make a huge impact.

For instance, in their 2009 report, the SNA said that across the country, nearly every school district was now offering students fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, with low-fat dairy products, salad bars and pre-packaged salads, but because of extremely limited budgets, they struggle to pay for the extra refrigeration, steamers, labor and other expenses involved.

Sources: Associated Press, Washington Post, Mission Readiness, MNT archives.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD

“It’s alarming that young Swedish men are consuming so much salt, and something needs to be done about it. We can really only speculate on the consequences of such a high salt intake later on in life, in the form of cardiovascular diseases and stroke,” says Lena Hulthén, Professor in Clinical Nutrition at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

The study included almost a hundred men in their twenties. Urine samples from all participants were analysed over a 24-hour period. The participants also answered questions about their eating habits. The urine samples showed that the young men were consuming at least two times the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily intake of six grams.

“High salt intake can lead to high blood pressure, but we couldn’t detect any connection in our study. High blood pressure doesn’t usually develop until a person is in their 30s or 40s, since the kidneys’ ability to deal with the excess salt deteriorates with age,” says Lena Hulthén.

Salt in food is found largely in ready meals such as pizza and frozen meat hash, but it is also in bread, cheese, meat sandwich fillings, fish products, breakfast cereals and other products produced by the food industry. An earlier Danish study has shown that only a tenth of the salt that we consume comes from our own salt cellars.

“The food industry needs clear regulations on how much salt it is allowed to use if we want to reduce total salt intake. One solution could be to follow Finland’s example, where all food packaging has to clearly state the salt content to make it easier for the consumer to select products containing less salt,” says Lena Hulthén.

Salt in food

People who consume a lot of salt run a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, which in turn is one of the key causes of heart problems and stroke. The National Food Administration (Livsmedelsverket) recommends that Swedish women consume no more than six grams of salt a day, and Swedish men no more than seven grams, but the authority would ideally like to see us consuming between five and six grams a day. The National Food Administration would also like to see children consuming less salt.

Source: University of Gothenburg

The new survey*, conducted for Siemens in conjunction with The Stroke Association to launch the annual Stroke for Stroke campaign, found that less than half of those questioned (43%) believe they adhere to the GDA (Guideline daily amount) for salt of 6g per day. Also the vast majority (85%) of those questioned failed to take the government recommended 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. This lack of regular exercise, combined with a high salt intake, could lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke.

The research revealed a general lack of awareness about overall salt consumption and the level of salt found in foods. While 92% of those surveyed believe that too much salt is bad for their health, 40% were unable to correctly identify six grams or one teaspoon as the maximum recommended daily salt allowance for an adult and, worryingly, 64% of those questioned are not concerned about their salt intake.

Perhaps surprisingly, those aged under 18 are most conscientious about always looking at the salt content of foods before buying (21% compared to the national average of less than 10%), but this doesn’t appear to lead to a reduction in the amount of ready-made and takeaway meals consumed by this age group. On average under-18s consume more than three of these types of meal per week, the highest of any age group, with 16% consuming seven or more every week.

The under 18s are also the least aware (53%, compared with 76% for all other age groups) that salt present in the food they buy is likely to constitute their main source of salt intake. In common with all other age groups, over three-quarters (78%) of under 18s regularly add more salt to their food during cooking or consumption, leading to a potentially very high weekly salt intake. This, coupled with the fact that 84% of young people exercise fewer than five times per week, means that this group could be increasingly at risk of serious health problems in later life.

Siemens carried out the research as part of the launch of their third annual Stroke for Stroke campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of stroke and highlight the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise as an effective means of stroke prevention.

Andreas J. Goss, chief executive, Siemens in the UK, said: “Stroke is the UK’s third biggest killer and contrary to popular belief it can affect people of any age. It is imperative that people take regular exercise and modify their lifestyle habits and diet if they are to reduce the risk of suffering from serious health conditions such as stroke.”

Wendy Martinson, Registered Dietician and Sports Nutritionist to the Great Britain Rowing Team, said: “A combination of poor dietary choices and habits, along with lack of regular exercise, could result in serious future health problems. A campaign such as Stroke for Stroke can raise awareness of the importance of taking positive action in your diet and lifestyle to improve your health. The risk of stroke is patently real and these warnings need to be acknowledged.”

Joe Korner, Director of Communications for The Stroke Association comments: “Each year an estimated 150,000 people in the UK will suffer a stroke. High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke, eating too much salt on a regular basis as well as not exercising can contribute to this. Stroke for Stroke is now in its third year and a campaign like this is integral to raising awareness of how regular exercise and lifestyle choices can help prevent a stroke, which is clearly a message the UK still needs to hear.”

The Stroke for Stroke campaign will run between 25 – 31 January 2010 and will challenge members of the public to row 10km (or more), helping to raise vital funds for the charity. Not having access to a rowing machine is no excuse, as Stroke for Stroke has teamed up with Nuffield Health to offer a free five day pass to their nationwide network of Fitness & Wellbeing Centres for everyone taking part in Stroke for Stroke. The campaign is open to everyone across the UK. The campaign website contains useful information on stroke prevention, including limiting salt intake and taking regular exercise.

Notes

*The research was carried out by One Poll in September 2009 and questioned 3,000 participants. Siemens Stroke for Stroke Week is supported by The Stroke Association. Full details and a link to the justgiving website can be found at http://www.strokeforstroke.co.uk

Source
Nuffield Health
Siemens in the UK
The Stroke Association