Through a series of policy decisions, innovations, and a growing complex food system, the United States has moved from a nation of people once considered to be undernourished, to a nation with 100 million obese citizens. This radical change in our collective condition took place in less than one generation. This body composition change is impacting military readiness, military recruiting, first-responder readiness, and first-responder recruiting. Furthermore, the impacts of obesity have an annual cost that is estimated to be nearly half a trillion dollars. In our mission to meet both acute and chronic homeland security needs, it is crystal clear that the human and economic burdens of obesity are substantial. Therefore, obesity is a homeland security issue.
Dan O'Connor's thesis
