Over 250 Retired Admirals and Generals Call On President Trump to Appoint Leaders to President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition to Ensure Future Military Readiness

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over 250 retired admirals and generals of the nonpartisan organization Mission: Readiness have signed a letter to the President, requesting that he appoint leaders to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. 

The letter, led by Mission: Readiness members Rep. Don Bacon, a retired Air Force Brigadier General, and Rep. Jack Bergman, a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General, highlights the threat that obesity poses to national security.  The admirals and generals note that:

"Today, excess weight prevents nearly one in three young adults from qualifying for military service. Obesity and excess weight threaten more than future military readiness. Between TRICARE expenses, increased recruiting challenges, and replacing unfit personnel, the Department of Defense is spending almost $4 billion each year on obesity-related issues." 

The letter also highlights the role of the President's Council in combating obesity:

"Given the threat of obesity to national security, it is imperative that we use every available means to promote better health outcomes among children and youth."

"Appointing champions for better health to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition will help educate, engage, and inspire children and youth to adopt habits to avoid obesity, as well as strengthen national security by increasing the number of young adults qualified to serve in the military."

Established by Executive Order as the President's Council on Youth Fitness under President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition is intended to engage, educate, and empower all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition. Housed within the Department of Health and Human Services, the President's Council has its own staff but formal members have not been appointed under President Trump's Administration. However, the President did issue an executive order in February clarifying the goals of the Council.

Mission: Readiness believes that with capable leadership, the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition can help combat childhood obesity and grow the pool of young people qualified for military service by providing role models who encourage more children and youth to stay fit and healthy. 

Read the letter with signatures: http://bit.ly/2GNj5Uq

SOURCE MISSION: READINESS