February 10, 2012

I wanted to find Obama's reaction to the Pentagon decision — announced yesterday — to continue to exclude women from combat...

... but yesterday's Obama/military/women news takes me right to a story about Michelle Obama taking her anti-obesity campaign to the military.
"Our primary focus is on the health and well-being of service members, their families, and our retirees," [Assistant U.S. Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Jonathan Woodson]. "Obesity is a preventable problem which, if combated, can help prevent disease and ease the burden on our overall Military Health System."
If combated... so: women in combat... against fat.
In an effort to promote good choices, the military will redesign menus and try to supply healthier foods in mess halls and on bases and in vending machines and snack bars on military bases....
"Whenever our men and women in uniform step forward, Americans take notice. When our service members make healthy eating a priority in their lives, the rest of us are more likely to make it a priority in our lives," [the First Lady] said...  "Simply put, this is America's entire military once again stepping forward to lead by example."
Who planned these optics? On the same day, the Pentagon announced it was (mostly) sticking to its traditional view about women in combat and Michelle Obama went high-profile in a military context in the traditional female role of meal-planning and health-caretaking.

Where was the other Obama, our President, Barack?

38 comments:

davis,br said...

@ann Where was the other Obama, our President, Barack?

...sitting in his nowhere land
...making all his nowhere plans
...for nobody

DaveW said...

What a foolish waste. There are few fat people in the military. Very few. You can't be fat and pass the physical fitness requirements, certainly not in the USMC.

X said...

Michelle is probably fatter than anyone in the military. What size ACU's would she wear?

Anonymous said...

Michelle needn't worry about fat folks in the military.
The coming reduction in force (RIF) will start with the fatties.
The overweight in the military will be gone in 3 years.

Scott M said...

Overweight in the military doesn't exactly mean what it does out here in the corral, er, civilian world. She's seeking a problem where very little of it exists.

Where was the other Obama, our President, Barack?

"We are the president."

David said...

Golfing?

Sorun said...

...the military will redesign menus and try to supply healthier foods in mess halls and on bases...

MO could gain my respect if her anti-obesity campaign addressed the foods that you can buy with food stamps. That might actually be worthwhile.

DaveW said...

Actually this reminds me of something. At the time I served I think Les Aspin was chair of the armed services committee. Was he from Wisconsin? I think so.

Anyway, he had written into the law that only butter and whole milk could be served in military chow halls. That was the first time in my life I had real butter I think.

And the rest of the chow wasn't exactly what you'd call low fat.

David said...

You people who say Michelle is fat. Want to arm wrestle her? Basketball one on one? A little kick boxing?

She's big, people, not fat. Quite the specimen. I love the photos of her next to shrimps like Sakorzy.

Don't like Michelle? Fine. There are some things about her I do not like. But the insults petty crap.

David said...

"are petty crap."

(Bears repeating.)

Anonymous said...

David,

I agree I think she's appealing physically, not fat but fit. It's her the nagging and the over-controlling nature of her mission I object to.

john said...

That PBS show Supercarrier a couple years back: I could not believe how large all the sailors were on that boat. Too much food available from kitchens open 24/7, and too few opportunities for physical work.

Not terribly obese, but big enough that the boat could capsize if they all rushed to one side. (Or the whole island if they all got shore leave in Guam.)

(Moved, had posted this in the wrong thread.)

edutcher said...

As to what was Barry's reaction, you know what he was doing:

Attacking the First Amendment
Canceling the Keystone Pipeline
Throwing money at all those green companies that are going belly up

DaveW said...

What a foolish waste. There are few fat people in the military. Very few. You can't be fat and pass the physical fitness requirements, certainly not in the USMC.

Or the Army. A son of one of The Blonde's best buds went in as an 18X (I believe that's the MOS) a couple of years ago and he had to drop a few pounds and he was pretty slim already.

Hoosier Daddy said...

We need fat people around. When the zombie apocalypse happens, the fatties will go first which gives us fit and lean people a head start.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... You people who say Michelle is fat. Want to arm wrestle her? Basketball one on one? A little kick boxing?.."

Sure.

X said...

You people who say Michelle is fat

no one said that. and what do you mean you people?

The Drill SGT said...

I never saw a fat guy in combat :)

Seriously Althouse, do you and Michelle know that the Army and Marines have serious height /weight standards and programs to deal with this?

Fat by a couple of pounds? bad efficency report, no promotion and fired.

what more is she going to do other than start a roit by banning fries and burgers in the DFAC?

doesn't she know or are they afraid to tell her that offering fries and burgers is all that keeps the guys on base instead of off base for 2 whoppers.

MayBee said...

The idea that the ordinary American is somehow supposed to observe what the military is served for meals seems pretty absurd.
Who does she think is watching them eat?

All MO has to do is think back to the days before her husband was president, when she apparently spent 0 time thinking about, observing, or admiring the military. It's kind of creepy, now that her husband is CinC, how much they want the rest of us to emulate the military in our daily lives.

John henry said...

What Dave said.

I don't know about the Army but back in the 70's, in the Navy, I had a roommate who had 16 years in. He was told that he had to lose about 40# or he could not re-enlist.

He didn't lose the weight, though he did lose some, and the Navy didn't let him re-enlist.

John Henry

Anonymous said...

For those that can't understand what MO is doing, it's simple.

She's meddling, she knows better than you about....everything.

She is a liberal doing what liberals do.

MayBee said...


She's big, people, not fat. Quite the specimen. I love the photos of her next to shrimps like Sakorzy.


Why?
Is there something wrong with being short?

Scott M said...

Is there something wrong with being short?

I heard that it's been said those people got no reason. Other than that, I suppose there's nothing wrong with it as long as said short person possesses a higher tolerance for the smell of fart gas.

Brian Brown said...

Where was the other Obama, our President, Barack?

Bowing to another country's leader?

David said...

Maybee, I'm not all that tall myself, but seeing her next to Sakoszy is a riot.

MayBee said...

Maybee, I'm not all that tall myself, but seeing her next to Sakoszy is a riot.

Why?
Why is laughing at Sarkozy's height funnier/less crappy than talking about Michelle's weight?

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... Why is laughing at Sarkozy's height funnier/less crappy than talking about Michelle's weight?.."

Because Sarkozy is a French white guy with a non-French name and has a hawt wife.

Hoosier Daddy said...

I for one don't think she's fat but I also don't find her the least bit attractive. Yes she's physically too big for my tastes with very hard facial features.

For some guys that's fine. For me I like a bit for femininity in my women.

MadisonMan said...

Obama (B) has realized that when he opens his mouth, his poll numbers drop.

William said...

I myself suffer from what the doctors call metabolic hyperdrive. Sufferers from this condition have to eat four, sometimes five meals a deal in order to stave off malnutrition. I can get by with only four meals a deal, but I have to keep constantly snacking on Godiva Chocolates to keep my weight in some kind of balance. I joined Weight Watchers to have a support group for my affliction. I must they were not at all sympathetic and some were actively hostile as I described my struggles to maintain my weight. All this aturm and drang about the obese, but not the merest gesture towards those who suffer from chronic skinniness.

wyo sis said...

It always starts small but we're soon so worried about other people's business we don't notice how the government is in OUR business.
My dad used to say the last acceptable social prejudice would be against fat people. He was lean and lanky, so he couldn't be accused of having an agenda, but he could see the end result of political correctness.
Find a target, isolate it, freeze it. Here we go again.

Alex said...

Do infrantrymen get put through "hell week" or only Marines and special forces?

Alex said...

William - you can't honestly expect a bunch of fatties to empatize with you.

Michael Haz said...

Why can't Mrs. Obama just focus on her husband's staff and Cabinet officers? Start by getting them all thin and healthy and expand her program from there.

Show us a thin and pumped Hillary Clinton, or maybe Janet Napolitano, then work on the much easier hyper-fit military.

Scott M said...

Do infrantrymen get put through "hell week" or only Marines and special forces?

Probably not. Being a stinking leg is hell enough.

Luke Lea said...

There is also the issue of whether women should be allowed or required to go into combat.

prairie wind said...

William - you can't honestly expect a bunch of fatties to empatize with you.

Oh, I dunno. They are all obsessed with food, right? I have a friend who used to be fat. Now that she's skinny, she spends just as much time planning and talking about her food as she ever did.

Jim Howard said...

This just shows how little the Obamas know about the military.

For example, Air Force members have to meet strict weight standards, and to do well on the very important PT test they can't have a waist size greater than 32" for a man and 29" for a woman. Period. No matter how tall, how short, or how old. Your chances of promotion are greatly reduced if you exceed those waist sizes.

Even President Obama might be considered fat by Air Force standards.

There are no really fat Air Force members any more, and the upcoming personnel meat axe will cut away all but the truely skinny.

DEEBEE said...

Count your blessings when a liberal talks about cutting the military and it only means this.