Analysis of the Physical and Mental Impacts of Height and Weight Standarts on Marines

Abstract

The Marine Corps currently measures body mass index using standards that date back to the middle of the 20th century, which appear to be no longer applicable to today’s service members. The current policy is influencing Marines to adopt unhealthy lifestyle habits that encourage the use of rapid weight loss techniques in order to meet these standards, which contributes to physical and mental health issues. To learn more about individual Marines’ perceptions of current policy, this study consisted of nine semi-structured interviews with the data collected analyzed to identify any common themes, feelings, and perceptions about the current Marine Corps policy regarding height and weight requirements. Given the number of interviewees, this research was a limited population sample which did not allow for a full representation of Marines based on race, gender, MOS, and other key demographic information. The main observations based on interview data points toward the Marine Corps’ re-evaluation and updating of current methods of measuring body mass index in order to allow service members to maintain healthier weights without sacrificing their physical or mental health. These changes could significantly impact the overall health and combat readiness of the fighting force and potentially improve retention rates within the Marine Corps.