Hardcore gamers too fat to join the military?

The Army has changed its physical fitness program because the "Xbox Generation" is less physically fit than previous recruits. Is now a good time to join the Army if you are not in optimal shape?

[tdogchristy90]

I know as technology changes, the way we train changes. However, what should not happen is the military lowering it's standards because the nation is lazy. When going to war there is no second place.

[milliways]

From what I read in the article, I don't think they're lowering their standards just changing how they do things to make sure everyone's fit, but don't end up getting injured at the same time. Recruits will still need to meet the same fitness levels and they're just changing how they get there.

[mikeslemonade]

The military doesn't really have the time to adjust workouts for everyone. Most of the time you got one instructor for every 30 recruits. At best you probably have 3 seperate groups dubbed the "Fast" "Medium" and "Slow" group. If you can't do none of those then you get sent back in a physical training platoon. That is what we did in the Marine Corps bootcamp.

[commodore64]

.
For every hardcore gamer that sits at home on the couch and is grossly overweight, society bears a HUGE social cost, as that individual's weight and lack of fitness will result in higher costs to state funded medical programs.

Of course the real tragedy is that such overweight hardcore gamers likely suffer from low self-esteem and social phobias as a result of being picked on for their weight.

As it stands, in the US alone, the cost to taxpayers as a result of obesity is over $92.6 BILLION, in 2002 dollars. Adjusting for inflation, that figure is likely to be much higher today. What's more, more than HALF of all Americans are overweight today.
http://content.healthaffair...

I think it's time for gamers, in particular,to take some responsibility for their health, weight and resulting self-esteem.
The social stereotypes of hardcore gamers seem to have a ring of truth about them:
http://www.internet-d.com/w...
http://pzrservices.typepad....

For example, a peripheral like Kinect has the potential to encourage gaming in a healthy setting. On a daily basis, one half hour of interactive FUN gaming with Kinect would likely improve the health and self-image of overweight gamers and thereby cut the cost to the taxpayer of health problems related to obesity.

Amongst all the hate for Kinect on the internet, why aren't we, as hardcore gamers, willing to admit that it might be fun AND good for us and society as a whole?

This active fitness aspect of Kinect really does impress me.
MS would be wise to advertise this fact to the parents of all the hardcore gamers that live in their mom's basement.

[MicroSony4Life]

The article did not say anything about hardcore video gamers being too fat to be mall cops - hope lives : )

[BX81]

Changing standards is not the same as lowering it!

[MicroSony4Life]

we are just big boned.

[Silentmerc3nary]

Bones don't jiggle. ;)

[big_silky]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Nawert]

Haha, the Army is at it again. Semper Fi Marines.

[SgtRock]

Semper Fi is right. I don't even recognize WTF is going on in that photo.

[TEFL0N_D0N_81]

It is a lazier generation. They're changing their standards because fatter troops are running out of breath on a simple 1.5 mile run, running into earlier health problems, and becoming less reliable on the military job. Overall the costs of keeping troops in shape are sky rocketing.

Yes I'm prior military, which is more than most around here will have ever done for their country than just sit around and complain and 360 this, PS3 that, Obama doesn't care, and other BS.

[Sarcasm]

Yeah way to Generalize things here.

Let's just forget all the overweight middle aged people because only "kids and teens" are lazy and fat.

^Sorry I don't know why this post went here.

[Mr Tretton]

I hope you know Teflon, anything you 'did', did absolutely nothing for this country.

[TEFL0N_D0N_81]

oh yeah, I agree. We shouldn't have gone to Iraq.

@Sarcasm above, if you're curious why my original post addressed the topic, read the article in question.

Also, there are middle aged people in the military. Their test scores are curved to compensate for their age and height. So unless your post was in total sarcasm, your rationale fails.

[iceman2885]

I'm glad that you joined the military and you helped our nation, I appreciate that. But you have to realize that joining the military is not the only way to help our country. Without some portion of the population seeking higher education than the military gives (yes the military gives a fine education, but a lot of the technology the military uses comes from civilians who are employed by the military and government).

You should know as well as anyone that going out and doing an everyday job helps the country as much as serving in the military.

[TEFL0N_D0N_81]

iceman, I'm aware that there are other jobs that serve the country in an honorable fashion. But let me know if you ever come across bullets flying by with people on the other side willing to cut your head off with a spoon. Their hatred for America is rising so fast that the Iraq invasion most likely fueled their cause in the long run. Then let me know that going out and doing an everyday job help the country as much as serving in the military.

[iceman2885]

You're right, we should be like all those countries we try to be different than and force everyone to join the military. Heck, lets forget the reasons why the country was founded in the first place, everyone should join the military and fight in wars so that we know what it's like to have a bullet flying past your head.

I have no idea what its like to have people shooting at me, but then again, you have to get it through your pea sized brain that if we didn't work our jobs back home and generate money for our government and boost our economy as well and design the technology that keeps the US armed forces on the cutting edge, you wouldn't be fully armed or funded.

Serving in the military is an honorable thing, but thinking that you are better than everyone else because you served in the military goes against why you should be serving in the first place. If you really think everyone should serve in the military and that you are better than someone because you served in the military, there is nothing that I can do to help you understand why our country was founded in the first place.

[jeeves86]

Hey man, I support anyone who has the inner-workings to go out and put their life on the line for the sake of what someone behind a big desk says 'the greater good,' but Iceman has a point. Every person who holds a real, legitimate job serves a purpose.

Think about it dude--people get jobs and they spend money. That money fuels the economy to make more jobs. More jobs = more people paying taxes and not wasting resources on pogey or welfare. In the end, not only does that money make the USA a country worth fighting for, some of that cash ends up going back to the military for its efforts at home and abroad.

[SilverSlug]

Because all hardcore gamers are exactly the same weight and physical condition. Just how all minorities are criminals.

(Sarcasm)

[Sunny_D]

Wait, they're not? /s

Anyways, I guess I'm hardcore, but not really really harcore, since I have a life. I am 185 lbs and can bench 230 lbs.

[TEFL0N_D0N_81]

Sorry about the repeat post.

[LightofDarkness]

Well, pardon me for injecting a little common sense here, but I sincerely doubt many hardcore gamers have any serious aspirations for joining the military. Most "unfit" people have barely enough motivation to get up and go to the store to fuel their junk food habit.

Seriously, this is not an issue, unless the military was putting out feelers for how well conscription would go down...

[ckbarnett]

that is what call of duty is for.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

I was Honorably discharged May 29, 2007 U.S. Air Force. Did my time and I was hardcore gaming before, after, and during. And to put that into perspective it is harder to join the Air Force than the Army.

[Meowhammad]

Don't ask, don't tell. hehe, eh?

[GuruStarr78]

I played a ton of xbox and PS1 & 2 when I was in the Army....and I passed all of my PT tests with flying colors.....in fact, I would go as far to say that almost every male in the barracks had a console.....We drilled holes in our barracks walls so we could link our xboxes and play halo; 4 on 4 matches against each other in separate rooms.........

Its funny, because when you go to the PX (thats like a military walmart) They have tons of games, accessories and systems for sale....its almost like they promoted it....

But hey, it was (and still is for me) a great stress reliever.

[RyuCloudStrife]

Hardcore gamers too fat to (get pussy)

[Meowhammad]

I don't know about fatties, but i get mine...

[tunaks1]

lol wtf?

[Dsnyder]

Not too fat.

[Raoh]

there was only one small mention of video games really, its more about technology from sitting down to play games to sitting down to update your facebook page..

[TooTall19]

I played video games all 25-35 hours a week in high school and I was able to make it to the state track & field meet in 3 events. I think diet is a bigger factor.

[Drjft]

Doesn't surprise me. I'm in the Australian Army as a Artillery Gun Number, and most of my friends outside of the army are too lazy to exercise. 4 mile run everyday, plus weights.

[Halo_Reach]

dude wtf im not fat and im in better form that probably 80% of those marines guys i also work on Gym my body is toned and i run like hell... Gosh they are calling me fat i dont support that. i hate when people call fat someones serious all people is different , different bodies some people are fat by nature and they have no fault about that!!!!

Well i live in EU if i were in U.S i would join army and kick them asses!

[Halo_Reach]

i did 6.5km by day plus weights , push ups etc... Now im doing bycicle like 25km-30km plus push ups , abs etc...

Great to see u doing great^! keep tha good woooork!

[Drjft]

Hell yeah dude, good stuff. When I was first pushing myself to get in I was doing 5 miles with a 75 pound pack in around 26 minutes, about 80 pushups, 40 situps and bench pressing etc.

Bike riding is great. Nothing like getting a heap of km's into your legs and having ripped as calves :D

[Hazmat13]

fuck the government

[MeatAbstract]

"Would you overweight hardcore gamers like to join the military? Leave behind all these fantasy worlds, come run around all day while we shout at you and tell you to do things, like push ups and sit ups and get you up really early to make you run some more. Come on kids, its a great future!"

"I dunno man, I mean, Splatterhouse is out in a few months...and everything you just said sounds pretty awful."

I dunno why 'hardcore' gamers would want to join the military. Modern Warfare can't be that inspirational, can it?

[Meowhammad]

Join the military and get my face blown up by sand monkeys?! No thank you, I'll be here on my couch eating chips, playing vidya games, and smoking weed errday.

[Mahr]

Judging from my co-workers, they can always get jobs working in IT.

[jeeves86]

Nice how a sliver of a mention about games gets into an article like this and suddenly we're all fat. We all knew that they were going to have to change their training regimen eventually...this country consumes so much garbage and does so much nothing with their time that pretty much anyone who would even consider joining would need a lifestyle overhaul in the years leading up to signing on.

"This isn't an army problem, it's a nation problem."

[chad22hkd]

Im in great shape, and have been doing martial arts for 8 years. I hate sterotypes. Lazy people are lazy people. Whether they play video games or watch tv. Heck some of the fattest people i know don't even play games.

[DelbertGrady]

Too smart. Perhaps they didn't buy into all the patriotic brainwashing that the government and media feeds them? Perhaps they understand that joining the army is doing the rich mans laundry work? Cowboy politics isn't the answer to 'protecting' your country.

[gamerben]

I don't eat food.