US Armed Forces Revise Body Fat Standards for Military Personnel

The Pentagon is introducing a new system for assessing the physical condition of military personnel based on the ratio of waist circumference to height.

The relevant directive was published in a memorandum from the US Department of Defense, which replaces the traditional height and weight tables, according to Military Times.

The maximum permissible waist-to-height ratio is set at less than 0.55 for all branches of the military.

The new body fat standards are set at 18-26% for men and 26-36% for women.

Service members who exceed these standards will automatically be enrolled in corrective physical training programs.

Failure to meet standards may result in career advancement restrictions, including blocking promotions and other incentives.

Repeated violations of the rules will result in administrative sanctions, up to and including dismissal from service.

Body composition assessments will now be conducted twice a year for all personnel.

Deputy Secretary of Defense for Personnel Anthony Tata has identified physical fitness as “a key element of combat readiness and force lethality.”

High scores on physical tests may allow for some leeway, but they do not negate the body composition requirements.

Defense Secretary Pete Hagseth called the reform part of a move toward stricter standards and ridding the armed forces of excess weight as a factor in reducing combat readiness.

The Pentagon recently announced new standards: physical training and a ban on beards.