Would you get liposuction if it increased your chances of keeping your job? It may come as a surprise, but US soldiers would—and do! That’s according to recent media headlines that reveal a little about how our service members are evaluated on their ability to perform.
While the general public relies on the standard body mass index calculation to provide a general idea of healthy size by measuring height and weight, it turns out military standards require our active duty men and women to pass a different kind of body fat test, the “tape test,” which measures the neck and waist to determine fitness. When these two measurements are disproportionate, service members are said to turn to one of a handful of solutions: crash diet or liposuction to reduce the circumference of the waist or regimental use of weights to try and increase the neck size. Seem extreme? Not so much to soldiers who know that if they don’t pass the test, they may not be promoted. Even worse, multiple failures can lead to discharge from the service.
Military Standards
According to the recent article “Military members turn to liposuction to pass disputed body fat tape test” in the Daily News, the Pentagon says this test is the best, most efficient way they can have a broad-scope indicator of combat readiness, pointing out that most active duty men and women who do not pass the tape test also do not successfully pass physical fitness tests. And while they don’t recommend liposuction, it is not off limits.
As for the number of soldiers discharged for not passing body fat and physical fitness tests, the article states that the numbers have increased significantly, by more than 10 times since 2008 in the Army. Marines saw numbers doubled from 2010 to 2011, with improvements in 2012. Although Air Force and Navy branches don’t track these numbers, according to the Daily News, the Air Force has recently made some progress by garnering permission from the Pentagon to use body mass index measurements for airmen who do not pass the tape test but pass fitness tests.
Accurate or Not?
Critics say the Department of Defense’s use of the tape test is outdated. It may help to identify overweight and out-of-shape men and women, but on paper it fails when it comes to those with bigger, more muscular frames.
The Daily News adds one fitness expert’s opinion on the issue of effectively measuring body fat. Jordan Moon’s opinion? There isn’t a good one. Moon, a PhD in exercise physiology, believes evaluating actual performance is more important than passing judgement based on 2 simple measurements. He also points out the most football players would fail this test because they’re bigger than the general population.
Despite the fact that liposuction can come with a multi-thousand dollar price tag, Dr. Michael Pasquale, a plastic surgeon in Honolulu, HI, told the Daily News, “I've actually had commanders recommend it to their troops. They'll deny that if you ask them. But they know some people are in really good shape and unfortunately are just built wrong.”
The Right Doctor
Military or not, when you’re ready to commit to liposuction, it’s time to commit to doing the homework too. Trust the guidance and experts at Liposuction.com. Are you ready to begin?