Ex-surgeon general: Obese kids now a national security issue
washington» A former U.S. surgeon general warned Friday that America’s obesity epidemic — “the terror within” — is a national security problem as the nation’s more than 9 million overweight children threaten to shrink the pool of eligible future service members. Dr. Richard Carmona, who finished his term as surgeon general in 2006 and now leads the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent Obesity Alliance, said obesity is no longer an individual problem but one that “undermines the strength of our nation.” The rise in childhood obesity, he said, has coincided with a rise in related chronic conditions such as type II diabetes and hypertension. He noted that obesity is one of the most common reasons why servicemen cannot fully perform their duties. Cox News Service