It's a war, not a fcuking beauty contest
Indeed.....Too many US war movies?
The key point here is that being grossly overweight suggests a supreme lack of self discipline.
If members of the military do not have the self discipline to look after their bodies it doesn't bode well for their professionalism... Yes that does not automatically mean individuals are not professional in their duties - but it's not a good first impression.
I do not expect people I work and fly with to be able to do the Commando course but in a 'war' (as you eloquently put it) - if we end up next to a burning wreck under contact I've effectively got a casualty straight away if fattie can't keep up with the break contact drills. That puts the rest of the crew at risk (and is easily avoidable – by not having someone incapable of running 100m with kit on the crew) and is not something I am prepared to deal with.
That is the point gents and I find it genuinely disgusting that people here can argue for the ridiculous notion that being fat is better! The only argument being that blokes who go down the gym might injure themselves or spend less time learning the job than a pie muncher.
I pray I never have to work with your ‘professionalism’.