It's been weighing on my mind...

As an addendum to the previous post about being fat in America, a couple news stories of note:

• "Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), Boston Medical Center Harvard University, and Cambridge Health Alliance found that more than 75 percent of emergency responder candidates for fire and ambulance services in Massachusetts are either overweight or obese." (courtesy of Harvard Science)
• One-third of the nation's military-age youth are unable to serve because they are overweight by army standards --even though the army's definition of "overweight" is more generous than that of the CDC. (courtesy of NPR)

If an emergency responder is at a higher risk for a cardiovascular problem and/or a musculoskeletal injury, the safety of the community he serves is also compromised. Similarly, the safety of troops and those whom they protect is compromised when soldiers are in poor health. Then we must ask, "Who watches the Watchmen?" Concerned health care providers, I hope.