An increasing percentage of young people face that same problem. Across all segments of the military, 31% of young adults ages 17 to 24 cannot enlist because they’re too heavy, according to the Department of Defense. The Army, the military’s largest branch, needs to recruit about 130,000 people a year to carry out its missions, and therefore faces the brunt of the recruitment challenge that childhood obesity presents.

Source: Army Recruiters Help Overweight Applicants Lose Pounds : Shots – Health News : NPR