CF Health and Lifestyle Information Survey Results - We are fatter & we drink

[old medic]

Canadian soldiers fatter and drinking more: survey
The Canadian Press
25 January 2011

HALIFAX — Canadian Forces personnel are getting fatter, more sedentary in their work, less physically active and becoming heavier drinkers, according to a new military study.

The Health and Lifestyle Information Survey also found that members are still reluctant to seek out mental health care services for fear that it will hurt their military careers, despite several new Defence initiatives to reduce stigma about the afflictions.

The document, which surveyed about 3,700 full-time force members for the 2008-2009 period, found there was a three per cent increase in the number of obese people in the Forces since 2004, even with a renewed push on fitness promotion.

"A statistically significant increase in the overall proportion of CF personnel categorized as obese was observed," the survey states.

Almost 29 per cent were of normal weight, while 48 per cent were overweight and 23.5 per cent were deemed obese.

The survey, which was recently posted on the National Defence website, doesn't offer explanations about the numbers but suggests that inadequate physical fitness, poor diets and sedentary jobs are to blame.

Obese members were also less likely to be able to deploy on missions because of their health, the survey said.

A Defence spokeswoman said no one from the department would be immediately available to comment on the findings.

The voluntary, anonymous mail-out survey also found that the number of people who were physically inactive went up four percentage points to 31 per cent, despite a rise in the availability of fitness classes on bases and satellite gyms across the country. And 80 per cent of Forces members had "very sedentary" jobs, the survey said.

The figures come years after the military redoubled efforts to improve the physical fitness and overall health of its members.

Gen. Rick Hillier, former chief of the defence staff, launched a fitness and healthy eating campaign in December 2005 to build a strong fitness culture in the Forces and to do baseline testing of every member.

Still, in 2007 more than 1,000 military members flunked the first national physical fitness test the Canadian Forces had done in a decade.

Shortly after he took over as chief of defence staff, Gen. Walt Natynczyk introduced a new fitness and healthy eating program "designed to strengthen the Canadian Forces' culture of health and physical fitness," according to the Defence website.

Another finding is that almost half of the respondents had more than two standard alcoholic drinks a day -- above the so-called "low-risk" drinking guidelines set by the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.

The heaviest drinkers were males between the age of 18 to 29, the survey found.

Almost six per cent reported driving a vehicle when they had had too much to drink, a figure almost half of the rate for the general Canadian population, the survey said.

The survey differed than previous ones in 2004 and 2000 in that it looked at the impact, if any, overseas deployments had on the lifestyle and health of members.

It found that deployment in the two years prior to the survey had little effect on a member's general health.

Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, often associated with combat and overseas missions, were not significantly different between those who had deployed and those who hadn't.

And while the majority said they felt there were no barriers to receiving mental health care, 11 per cent reported they needed it but didn't receive it.

Of those, the bulk said they feared their unit or supervisor would find out, and that it could affect their career. Others said they couldn't get help because they were training or deploying, while the majority said they wanted to manage it themselves.

Almost 35 per cent felt that seeking mental health care through the Forces would affect their career.

"The fear of negative career impact may relate to the perception that supervisors could treat a subordinate unfairly due to negative beliefs about those who are mentally ill," the survey said.

"There is a real possibility of mental illness affecting one's military career through limiting deployments and, if severe enough, medical release."

The survey also found that 15 per cent of personnel had experienced some form of abuse in their current relationship, with men reporting that they were on the receiving end more often than women.

The intent of the survey, which was commissioned by the Forces, is to help the military identify programs that it may need to improve physical and mental health.

 

[Armymedic]

Becoming heavy drinkers?

 

[PMedMoe]

Becoming heavy drinkers?

Yeah, too late for that, eh? 

 

[Armymedic]

This survey is yet another brick in the wall we medical clinicians use to try to keep our members healthy. Hence the reasons they ask about drinking, smoking etc, on your medicals. This study was posted by milnews a while back.

See the attached PDF file re: the causes of death of CF members.

Part of me thought this might go better in the Mental Health thread, but the study covers more than just that - mod squad, feel free to shift as you see fit.

This, from the National Post:
Full study attached (9pg PDF)

http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=93100.0;attach=31623

 

[The Bread Guy]

So is this "news" from a study that's been out there for 9 months?

 

[Armymedic]

No, the study was about the cause of death, the survey was about the quality of life. Opposite ends of the same candle.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Thanks for that.

 

[McG]

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/1224065.html

I have done a google search and cannot seem to find the source document.  Does anyone know where it is at?  I would be interested to see if the obesity statistics were based on individual self-assessments, BMI calculations from measurements provided by respondents, or some other mechanism?

I recall a survey from a number of years back (it may have been the 2004 predecessor survey mentioned in the article) in which members were asked to rate their fitness level.  It later turned out that many service personnel perceived "fit" and average fitness to be much more athletic than is reality in Canada, and so the results were skewed to suggest a greater than actual number of service personnel with sub-adequate fitness.

I do believe we have a fitness problem in the CF, but I am also skeptical of the statistics presented without any underlying explanation of the mechanism which identified the overweight and the obese. 

 

[Nfld Sapper]

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/1224065.html

I have done a google search and cannot seem to find the source document.  Does anyone know where it is at?  I would be interested to see if the obesity statistics were based on individual self-assessments, BMI calculations from measurements provided by respondents, or some other mechanism?

I recall a survey from a number of years back (it may have been the 2004 predecessor survey mentioned in the article) in which members were asked to rate their fitness level.  It later turned out that many service personnel perceived "fit" and average fitness to be much more athletic than is reality in Canada, and so the results were skewed to suggest a greater than actual number of service personnel with sub-adequate fitness.

I do believe we have a fitness problem in the CF, but I am also skeptical of the statistics presented without any underlying explanation of the mechanism which identified the overweight and the obese.

Found one, but sure if this is the source doc you are looking for..... CFHS Health and Lifestyle Information Survey

 

[Armymedic]

That would be the one, as there hasn't been one since.

 

[McG]

Found one, but sure if this is the source doc you are looking for.....

That is it, and according to Chapter 9 the survey used the height and weight of respondents to calculate BMI.  So, these results will have skewed results to suggest a higher than actual number of fat overweight pers because it lumps in all the pers with high BMI due to muscle mass.

 

[Occam]

From this morning's Halifax Chronicle Herald:

 

[riggermade]

That is it, and according to Chapter 9 the survey used the height and weight of respondents to calculate BMI.  So, these results will have skewed results to suggest a higher than actual number of fat overweight pers because it lumps in all the pers with high BMI due to muscle mass.

I remember in the 80's when the military was cracking down on people with a high BMI....there was no accounting for the fitness just the BMI so if you lifted weights and were muscle bound then your BMI was high

 

[Edward Campbell]

I remember in the 80's when the military was cracking down on people with a high BMI....there was no accounting for the fitness just the BMI so if you lifted weights and were muscle bound then your BMI was high

Very true, back in the late 80s and into the 90s I had three senior people in my directorate (all Navy, by the way) (not all at the same time) who were "muscle bound" but not, by any stretch of the imagination fat or, in any way, unfit. But I had to spend hours and hours writing memos and attending meetings in order to prevent some retard from convening a Carer Medical Review Board or worse. It was a colossal waste of my (very bloody valuable) time and, as far as I could see, the whole BMI thing served no purpose except to provide employment for useless people doing useless "work."

I believe we you all need to "look fit" - and that means, inter alia, no rolls of fat around the face and belly, and so on, but, it is more important that you are fit and that is not a matter of appearances - it can and should be tested.
 

 

[Hambo]

I believe we you all need to "look fit" - and that means, inter alia, no rolls of fat around the face and belly, and so on, but, it is more important that you are fit and that is not a matter of appearances - it can and should be tested.

You can carry fat around your stomach, and anywhere else, and still be perfectly fit.

Looks =/= performance.

Within reasonable limits, who cares how someone looks if they can meet or exceed the fitness standards?

 

[FSTO]

Drinking more? BS. I remember when I joined that bar hours were a guideline and the rampant drinking while at sea. Now the bar hours are strictly enforced and very few (except the Log O  ;D) drink at sea.

 

[dapaterson]

It was a colossal waste of my (very bloody valuable) time

On the other hand, there's something to be said for keeping senior personnel busy and otherwise occupied... GOBIs are a continual source of amusement and unintended consequences.

 

[Jed]

Too bad there isn't a complementary study showing that the CF average age is increasing and that the members are smoking less and are more productive on the job and are better prepared to deal with the stupidity of 'Politically Correct' reports. 

 

[Chilme]

If you look closely at the results you will noticed a few things:

1) The results are compared to the 2000 and 2004 study results and doesn't take into account anything prior to that time.

2) There is an increase in CF pers that are low on the fitness scale, while at the same time there are more people considered to be highly fit.  Moderate fitness levels have gone down and therefore people seem to be choosing to be more fit  or simply a lazy slob.

3) Just under 50% of the injuries have been attributed to an improper warm up before activity.

4) a significant amount of injuries are a results of overtraining and imbalanced training programs. Often a results of "When in doubt run/ruck" or "Cpl Bloggins, you're in charge of PT today. Go!"  Unit's need to harass their fitness sections to produce well balanced and varied training to avoid chronic injuries.

 

[Navalsnpr]

From this morning's Halifax Chronicle Herald:

Funny... While in KAF, when the Tim Horton's was out of Donuts, there was virtually no line up. The demographic that appeared to be missing was all of the US Soldiers.... and the occasional Dog Handler bringing their service dog in for a timbit!!