1. This paper is advocating for the continued use of waist measurements in the United States Air Force (USAF) Fitness Test. It will cover the reasons why waist measurement is a necessity in maintaining Airmen health and fitness levels, the arguments against waist measurement, and countermeasures proving the inherent need of waist measurements.
2. The body composition component of the USAF Fitness Test amounts to 20 percent of the overall composite score and is made up of the measurement of the abdominal circumference.1 The waist circumference measurement, along with all other components of the Fitness Test, were developed to maintain a level of health that will optimize an Airman’s performance both mentally and physically by identifying correlated health risks.2 As supported by the National Health Institute, fat that is mainly stored in the waist increases risks …show more content…
The AF has attempted to accommodate those still wary of the assessment by providing countermeasures for failure of the waist circumference measurement. If an individual should fail the waist portion but pass the other fitness components with a score of 75 out of 80, they are given the opportunity to do a Body Mass Index (BMI) test. After six months of this new policy, no Airman had qualified for the BMI test, which shows the success of waist measurements. This success points to the necessity of waist measurement in the fitness test, as it shows who is unfit for AF standards.8 Waist measurement not only encourages fit Airmen to maintain their health, it also allows individuals, upon failure, to get involved in programs that will support their path to excellence.9
5. This paper advocated for the continued use of waist measurements in the United States Air Force (USAF) Fitness Test. It covered the reasons why waist measurement is a necessity in maintaining Airmen health and fitness levels, the arguments against waist measurement, and countermeasures proving the inherent need of waist
2. The body composition component of the USAF Fitness Test amounts to 20 percent of the overall composite score and is made up of the measurement of the abdominal circumference.1 The waist circumference measurement, along with all other components of the Fitness Test, were developed to maintain a level of health that will optimize an Airman’s performance both mentally and physically by identifying correlated health risks.2 As supported by the National Health Institute, fat that is mainly stored in the waist increases risks …show more content…
The AF has attempted to accommodate those still wary of the assessment by providing countermeasures for failure of the waist circumference measurement. If an individual should fail the waist portion but pass the other fitness components with a score of 75 out of 80, they are given the opportunity to do a Body Mass Index (BMI) test. After six months of this new policy, no Airman had qualified for the BMI test, which shows the success of waist measurements. This success points to the necessity of waist measurement in the fitness test, as it shows who is unfit for AF standards.8 Waist measurement not only encourages fit Airmen to maintain their health, it also allows individuals, upon failure, to get involved in programs that will support their path to excellence.9
5. This paper advocated for the continued use of waist measurements in the United States Air Force (USAF) Fitness Test. It covered the reasons why waist measurement is a necessity in maintaining Airmen health and fitness levels, the arguments against waist measurement, and countermeasures proving the inherent need of waist