FranG
14 Jan 2007, 09:24 AM
Seems the stress of war is taking its toll on our troops.
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U.S. troops were fatter and drank harder in 2005 than before the Iraq war started, according a Pentagon survey of more than 16,000 service members released on Friday.
Still, the Pentagon said service members appeared to fare better than civilians in measures of lifestyle and health-related behaviors.
"I am pleased, and even a little surprised, that despite the stresses of war and ongoing deployments, nearly all indicators of service members' health and well-being continue to be quite good compared with civilian populations," said William Winkenwerder, assistant defense secretary for health affairs.
Some 60.5 percent of respondents in the 2005 survey were overweight compared with 57.2 percent in the previous survey conducted in 2002.
The survey also showed 44.5 percent of respondents participated in "binge drinking," up from 41.8 percent in 2002. The Iraq war began in March 2003.
Personnel deployed from 2002 to 2005 had higher rates of work and family stress as well as higher rates of heavy alcohol, cigarette and illicit drug use than those who did not deploy, it said. Read more... (http://www.newsmax.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/1/12/205944.shtml?s=ic)
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U.S. troops were fatter and drank harder in 2005 than before the Iraq war started, according a Pentagon survey of more than 16,000 service members released on Friday.
Still, the Pentagon said service members appeared to fare better than civilians in measures of lifestyle and health-related behaviors.
"I am pleased, and even a little surprised, that despite the stresses of war and ongoing deployments, nearly all indicators of service members' health and well-being continue to be quite good compared with civilian populations," said William Winkenwerder, assistant defense secretary for health affairs.
Some 60.5 percent of respondents in the 2005 survey were overweight compared with 57.2 percent in the previous survey conducted in 2002.
The survey also showed 44.5 percent of respondents participated in "binge drinking," up from 41.8 percent in 2002. The Iraq war began in March 2003.
Personnel deployed from 2002 to 2005 had higher rates of work and family stress as well as higher rates of heavy alcohol, cigarette and illicit drug use than those who did not deploy, it said. Read more... (http://www.newsmax.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/1/12/205944.shtml?s=ic)