No child left (with a small) behind. America ’s future workforce unfit for duty. Entry 9 -2010

Obesity is now a top reason that recruits cannot qualify to serve in the military ( < a href= " http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53804 " > 1 < /a > ), along with failure to finish high school and having a criminal record. Nine million young people are too overweight to serve and each year 1200 recruits are dismissed because of persistent weight issues. One former surgeon general describes obesity as moving beyond an epidemic to a “state of emergency” ( < a href= " http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53804 " > 1 < /a > ). < br / > < br / > What will workers look like in ten or twenty years? Are we building a capable, healthy workforce? By many indications, no. Employers in Maine estimate that the rate of obesity (defined as a Body Mass Index of 30 or more) in their state workforce could reach as high as 80% within ten years ( < a href= " http://www.kjonline.com/news/youthobesityscaresbusiness_2010-07-04.html " > 2 < /a > ). < br / > < br / > Consider these statistics: < br / > < ul > < li > Fewer than one in five high school-age youth are physically active for an hour every day, only one-third are active for an hour most days ( < a href= " http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss5905.pdf " > 3 < /a > ). < /li > < li > Fewer than one-half of high school students beyond 9th grade have any organized PE classes in a typical week ( < a href= " http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss5905.pdf " > 3 < /a > ). < /li > < li > Kids ages 8-18 now spend almost eleven hours per day on electronic ...

Source: Health as Human Capital - Illustrated Research Summaries - August 1, 2010 Category: Health Management Authors: Wendy Lynch, Ph.D. Source Type: blogs