Disclaimer: the views expressed here are those of the group and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Marine Corps, the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or US Government. The Marine Women's Initiative Team is not an official presence of the US Marine Corps.

In this episode we discuss the Department of Defense Body Composition standards and its impacts on female Service members. 

Did you know the current DOD Body Composition standard is based from an 1830 Belgian sample and a 1984 Navy sample that did not include an adequate sample of post partum women?  Did you know that when the DOD estimation for body fat percentage is compared to more technologically-advanced methods, such as a BodPod, the DOD equation overestimates body fat in a disproportionate amount of female Service members?  Did you know the second highest rate of eating disorders, according to a 2018 Military Health System report, is found among Marines - both male and female?  Take a listen and see if it's time to update the standards to reflect a more diverse and inclusive population.  

The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US Marine Corps, Department of the Navy, Department of Defense or the US Government.

Episode 2: DOD Body Composition Discussion

Marine WIT