'FIT NOT FAT': Hegseth Reacts to Report Finding Two-Thirds of Reserve Troops Are Overweight, 'Unacceptable'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reacted to a Military Times report published Thursday revealing that more than two-thirds of reserve troops did not meet weight standards.

“Completely unacceptable. This is what happens when standards are IGNORED — and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness & weight standards are here. We will be FIT, not FAT,” Hegseth declared in an X post

Completely unacceptable.

This is what happens when standards are IGNORED — and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness & weight standards are here.

We will be FIT, not FAT. pic.twitter.com/KWMlFbS1c8

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) April 25, 2025

From The Daily Wire:

Citing a new study released earlier this week by the American Security Project (ASP), The Military Times reported that an estimated 68% of National Guard and reserve troops would be classified as either overweight or obese. The problem was slightly more pronounced among National Guard members, where some 21% of all personnel are estimated to be obese.

The ASP noted in the study that a large percentage of Active Duty service members are also considered to be overweight or obese. But because National Guard and reserve service members serve and train on a part time basis, enforcing physical fitness standards can be a much more complicated issue than when dealing with those serving in an active duty capacity — but the risks, in addition to the impacts on military readiness, remain high.

“These service members experience heightened risk for a wide variety of serious health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and osteoarthritis, which may lead to life-threatening health events such as stroke and heart failure,” the ASP report stated.

Hegseth recently delivered a speech about military standards.

Watch Hegseth’s comments below:

🚨 SECDEF PETE HEGSETH ON MILITARY'S LEADERS: "They need to be fit, not FAT. Sharp, not SHABBY. Especially our leaders. That's why we're reviewing how the department has maintained standards, and whether those standards have dropped."pic.twitter.com/Bgm3oWbeUJ

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 23, 2025

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