Fed: More than 7500 defence troops are obese
22 Feb 2009 12:15 AM
The Australian Defence Force says more than one in seven of the nation's 53-thousand military troops are now classified as obese.
New official figures show seven-thousand 500 members of the Australian military is overweight .. which is more than three times the ratio recorded last month by the US military.
The Sunday Telegraph reports the ADF has commissioned its specialist research centre at Queensland University to investigate possible causes.
The study's expected to look at the changes to recruiting standards in 2006 .. when heavier recruits were admitted to broaden the selection pool.
ADF Surgeon General Major PAUL ALEXANDER says the defence force's obesity rate is currently 14 per cent.
