Senators Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, and Raphael Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia, are collaborating on a measure designed to promote healthier eating habits among U.S. service members based at military facilities, according to The New York Post.
The senators have initiated the Commissary Healthy Options and Servicemember Wellness (CHOW) Act. This legislation seeks to implement a pilot program for a coupon system, allowing service members to purchase food at on-base grocery stores. The objective is to encourage a decrease in the consumption of fast food and other highly processed meals, reports indicate.
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Senator Marshall, an Army veteran and physician who chairs the Senate Make America Healthy Again Caucus, stated, “Healthy troops are ready troops, and when we talk about military readiness, nutrition is way more important than vaccines and a whole lot of other things we focus on.”
This raises important questions about the military’s current dietary practices. Senator Marshall added, “As you look at the big picture of the military readiness right now, 20% of our troops are obese. 70% are overweight. One of the main reasons for separation from the military is obesity, and they can’t pass their PT [physical training] test.”
Senator Warnock posited, “This is a critical next step in addressing food access and quality for our military; if this program proves effective in boosting food security and improving our military readiness, Congress should move to expand this program nationwide.”
Senator Marshall noted that during his recent tours of commissaries, he’s seen a wide variety of healthy options at bases in the U.S. and abroad. “I’ve been really impressed, as I’ve been through several commissaries over the past year, here and overseas. They definitely have healthy choices.”
A healthier military is a more prepared military, according to these senators. Yet, this is only the first step in a larger conversation about nutrition, health, and military readiness.
