Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/52022 
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dc.contributor.authorCawley, Johnen
dc.contributor.authorMaclean, Johanna Catherineen
dc.date.accessioned2011-10-11-
dc.date.accessioned2011-11-23T11:42:17Z-
dc.date.available2011-11-23T11:42:17Z-
dc.date.issued2011-
dc.identifier.piurn:nbn:de:101:1-201107042718en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10419/52022-
dc.description.abstractThis paper contributes to the literature on the labor market consequences of unhealthy behaviors and poor health by examining a previously underappreciated consequence of the rise in obesity in the United States: challenges for military recruitment. Specifically, this paper estimates the percent of the U.S. military-age population that meets, and does not meet, current active duty enlistment standards for weight-for-height and percent body fat for the U.S. Army, using data from the series of National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys that spans 1959-2008. We calculate that the percentage of military-age adults ineligible for enlistment because they are overweight and overfat doubled for men and tripled for women during that time. We document disparities across race, education, and age in meeting the standards, and finds that a further rise of just 1% in weight and body fat would further reduce eligibility for military service by over 600,000 men and 1 million women of military age. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for military recruitment and military policy.en
dc.language.isoengen
dc.publisher|aInstitute for the Study of Labor (IZA) |cBonnen
dc.relation.ispartofseries|aIZA Discussion Papers |x5822en
dc.subject.jelI1en
dc.subject.jelH56en
dc.subject.jelJ11en
dc.subject.jelJ18en
dc.subject.jelJ2en
dc.subject.jelJ45en
dc.subject.jelN32en
dc.subject.ddc330en
dc.subject.keywordobesityen
dc.subject.keywordmilitaryen
dc.subject.keywordlaboren
dc.titleUnfit for service: The implications of rising obesity for US military recruitment-
dc.typeWorking Paperen
dc.identifier.ppn669612189en
dc.rightshttp://www.econstor.eu/dspace/Nutzungsbedingungenen

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