Fast food back on the menu for NATO troops in Afghanistan
Stories of Western soldiers becoming ‘too fat to fight’ have become a staple diet for news outlets in recent years. In the United States, for example, the number of troops diagnosed with weight issues has doubled since the start of the Iraq war in 2003, while obesity among British soldiers has become "a significant problem" and hampered the war effort in southern Afghanistan. Almost 7,500 of Australia’s 53,000 troops have been classified as obese.
What to make then of the lifting of the seven month ban on fast food restaurants and retail chains at military bases in Afghanistan, as reported by Stars and Stripes? One argument behind the return of Burger King to Kandahar and the serving of high calorie foods is to give the troops a way to alleviate their stress and let them indulge in some of their favourite comfort foods they enjoy back home – and in the Afghan heat many combat soldiers have very high calorific needs, burning upwards of 3000-4000 calories a day. However, the depth of the obesity problem suggests that NATO officers are not taking fitness and diet policies seriously enough.
Is it time for NATO to recruit Jamie Oliver to start a Food Revolution within the Alliance?