{"id":2178185,"date":"2024-02-16T13:48:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T18:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/study-u-s-service-members-taking-weight-loss-drugs-increased-nearly-100-fold\/"},"modified":"2024-02-16T13:53:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T18:53:21","slug":"study-u-s-service-members-taking-weight-loss-drugs-increased-nearly-100-fold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/study-u-s-service-members-taking-weight-loss-drugs-increased-nearly-100-fold\/","title":{"rendered":"Study: Surge in Weight-Loss Drug Use Among U.S. Service Members"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstudy-u-s-service-members-taking-weight-loss-drugs-increased-nearly-100-fold%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2178185&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>The Alarming Rise of Weight-Loss Drug Use in the U.S. Military<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The\u2062 number of U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-tim-scott-adds-fentanyl-legislation-targeting-mexican-drug-cartels-to-annual-senate-defense-bill\/\" title=\"Sen. Tim Scott includes fentanyl legislation against Mexican drug cartels in Senate defense bill.\">military\u2064 service members<\/a> \u200bon weight-loss drugs have skyrocketed nearly 100-fold since 2018,\u200b according to a recent analysis of Defense Department data.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On Thursday, Stars and\u200d Stripes, an independent military publication, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stripes.com\/theaters\/us\/2024-02-15\/weight-loss-prescriptions-rising-13011475.html?utm_source=Stars%20and%20Stripes%20Emails&#038;utm_campaign=e79004eb8b-Newsletter%20-%20Daily%20Headlines&#038;utm_medium=email&#038;utm_term=0_0ab8697a7f-e79004eb8b-296853687\">reported<\/a> on the study posted in the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, a peer-reviewed \u2062journal for the armed forces. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.mil\/Military-Health-Topics\/Health-Readiness\/AFHSD\/Reports-and-Publications\/Medical-Surveillance-Monthly-Report?type=Reports#youMayAlso\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">latest report<\/a> out\u200d in January, the prevalence of weight-loss drug prescriptions for U.S. military personnel skyrocketed from 1.2 per 100,000\u200c servicemembers in 2018 to 104.4\u2062 per 100,000 members in June 2023.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-183159792\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-da07e8ded56cdd603120efa376ffc2d0 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-da07e8ded56cdd603120efa376ffc2d0\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>\u201cUse of weight loss medications will likely \u2064continue to increase due to the ongoing obesity epidemic in\u200d the \u200cU.S.,\u201d<\/strong> researchers noted, with obesity among the armed forces already on the rise. The prevalence of \u2063obesity jumped from just more \u200bthan 16 percent among full-time active service members to nearly 19 percent in 2021. Roughly 67 percent of the U.S. adult population aged \u200b18 and older were qualified as either obese or overweight in 2021,\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/nccd.cdc.gov\/dnpao_dtm\/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=DNPAO_DTM.ExploreByTopic&#038;islClass=OWS&#038;islTopic=&#038;go=GO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d CDC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/physicalactivity\/resources\/unfit-to-serve\/index.html\">estimates<\/a> the Pentagon spends \u2062about \u200d$1.5 billion in obesity-related health costs and loses 658,000 work days due to it each year. In \u200d2018, the Department of Defense authorized the use of four weight-loss drugs due to \u2063the crisis within the military\u2019s ranks.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. lockdowns accelerated the pace of weight\u200d gain with nearly 10,000 Army service members emerging obese, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/04\/12\/nearly-10000-army-soldiers-emerged-from-covid-lockdowns-obese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to the Associated Press last spring. Military prescriptions for weight-loss drugs \u2063went from 7\u2064 in January 2018 to 816 in June 2023. Weight-loss injections such as semaglutide, which\u2062 was \u2062included in the list of medications \u2063covered in 2021, can carry severe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrx.com\/ozempic\/semaglutide-side-effects\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">side effects<\/a>, from kidney\u2064 damage to \u200dstomach paralysis.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Army Major Nolan Johnson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2023\/02\/27\/dip-doritos-and-drinking-why-the-army-cant-get-in-shape\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">outlined<\/a> \u2062 \u201cWhy the Army can\u2019t get in shape\u201d for ArmyTimes. In short, he wrote, the answer lies in <strong>\u201cDip, Doritos and\u2064 drinking.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ed61795068bac0d419713a4633873265 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ed61795068bac0d419713a4633873265\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cOn every base, [the Army and Air Force Exchange Service] AAFES offers tobacco at state minimum prices, deals on candy bars, and alcohol without\u2063 tax,\u201d Johnson explained. \u201cSoldiers can either embrace these\u2063 cheap, unhealthy options or take a 30-minute trip off-post to find healthy options \u200dthat cost a premium.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe results are obvious,\u201d Johnson added. \u201cFor a force pressed\u200b on \u2062time and money, 2-for-1 Monster energy drinks, discounted \u200bhot \u2063dogs, and chewing tobacco are \u200dthe regular lunch plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The American obesity epidemic has also become a primary obstacle to military recruitment. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americansecurityproject.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Ref-0281-The-Recruiting-Crisis-Obesitys-Impact.pdf\">report<\/a> from the American Security \u200dProject last year blamed being overweight as the \u201cgreatest single disqualifier\u201d\u2064 for military eligibility. The\u2062 CDC \u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/physicalactivity\/resources\/unfit-to-serve\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimated<\/a> that just\u2062 above 1 in 3 Americans between\u2063 the ages 17 and 24 were already ineligible to enlist in 2018 \u2064due to \u200ctheir weight. Ninety percent of military applicants come from that age \u2064range.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly half the United States is expected to be obese by the end of the decade, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/news\/press-releases\/half-of-us-to-have-obesity-by-2030\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> \u200b to a\u2063 Harvard study conducted before coronavirus lockdowns accelerated the trend.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What is the \u2064alarming increase in weight-loss \u2063drug use among U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">military service members<\/a>\u2063 based on Defense Department data?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The Alarming Rise of Weight-Loss Drug Use in\u200d the U.S. Military<\/p>\n<p>The use of weight-loss drugs \u200damong\u2064 U.S. military service members has seen\u2062 an alarming \u2064increase in recent years, according to a study based on\u2064 Defense Department \u200bdata. The analysis, posted in \u200bthe Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, \u2062revealed that the prevalence of weight-loss\u2064 drug \u200cprescriptions for military \u200cpersonnel has shot up nearly 100-fold since 2018, from 1.2 per 100,000 servicemembers to \u200d104.4\u2062 per 100,000 in June 2023.<\/p>\n<p>This alarming trend was reported\u2064 by Stars\u200c and\u200c Stripes, an independent military publication, on Thursday. The Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, a peer-reviewed journal for\u2064 the armed forces, provided the data for the study. The \u200clatest report,\u2062 released\u2062 in January, highlighted the significant \u2064rise in weight-loss drug usage\u200c among\u2064 military personnel.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers have \u200chighlighted\u200d that \u200bthe use of weight-loss medications is likely\u200b to continue \u2063to increase \u2063due \u2064to the ongoing obesity \u200cepidemic in the U.S. The prevalence of\u2064 obesity among \u200cthe armed forces has already \u2064been\u200d on the rise. Obesity \u2064rates jumped\u200c from just over 16 percent among full-time active service members \u200cto nearly \u200b19 percent in 2021. It is \u200cworth noting that approximately 67 percent of the U.S.\u2064 adult population aged 18 and older were classified \u200cas \u2063either obese or \u200coverweight \u200din \u200cthe same year, according\u200b to the Centers for Disease \u200cControl (CDC).<\/p>\n<p>The CDC \u200bestimates \u2063that\u200d the Pentagon\u200c spends \u200baround $1.5 billion on obesity-related health\u2062 costs every year and loses 658,000 work days due to this\u200b issue. In response to the\u200c crisis within the\u2064 military&#8217;s \u200branks, the \u2063Department of Defense authorized the \u200buse of four weight-loss drugs in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>The COVID-19 lockdowns\u200d further\u200c exacerbated the problem, with nearly 10,000 Army service members emerging from the lockdown period obese. This was reported by the\u200c Associated Press last spring.\u2062 Consequently, military prescriptions for weight-loss drugs increased from 7 in January 2018 to 816\u2064 in\u2062 June 2023. It is important to note \u2064that weight-loss injections, such as semaglutide, \u2063which were\u200c included in the list of covered medications in 2021, can carry severe side effects, ranging\u2062 from kidney \u200bdamage to \u2064stomach paralysis.<\/p>\n<p>The rise in weight-loss drug use in the U.S. military is\u2062 indeed concerning. The combination of the obesity epidemic and the pressures faced \u200bby \u2062military personnel \u200dcan lead to serious health\u200c risks.\u2063 Addressing this issue requires comprehensive measures, including promoting healthy lifestyles, providing nutritional guidance, and offering support \u2062to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bipartisan-lawmakers-criticize-dod-over-failure-to-comply-with-information-requests\/\" title=\"Bipartisan lawmakers criticize DOD over failure to comply with information requests\">service members struggling<\/a> with weight management. By tackling this problem head-on, the \u200bmilitary can ensure the well-being of its personnel and \u2063maintain their readiness for duty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent analysis of Defense Department data reveals a nearly 100-fold increase in the use of weight-loss drugs among U.S. military service members since 2018. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, was reported by independent military publication Stars and Stripes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":2178186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/53089269588_e541b26fff_k-e1708105683113.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2178185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/53089269588_e541b26fff_k-e1708105683113.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2178185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2178185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2178185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2178186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2178185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2178185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2178185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}