NationStates

[Title] @@DEMONYM@@ Army Bigger Than Ever

[Description] With obesity rates rising, fewer @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ meet the health requirements for military service. Your military advisors are worried about the nation's preparedness for war.

[Validity] nations with high obesity rates, nations with militaries not fully automated

[option] “Most people I see in the streets can hardly fight diabetes--let alone the enemy!” exclaims drill sergeant @@RANDOMMALENAME@@. “We need to start prohibiting businesses from serving foods deemed too sugary or too fattening. I know it’s draconian, but it’s either fast food service or military service.”
[validity] all male military
[outcome] the military has declared war on sweets

[option 1b] “Most people I see in the streets can hardly fight diabetes--let alone the enemy!” exclaims drill sergeant @@RANDOMNAME@@. “We need to start prohibiting businesses from serving foods deemed too sugary or too fattening. I know it’s draconian, but it’s either fast food service or military service.”
[validity] women allowed in service
[outcome] the military has declared war on sweets

[option] “This wouldn’t be a problem if our army was automatized,” says military engineer @@RANDOMNAME@@, winding up a toy tank. “If you throw some @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ at me, we can carry out all of our operations through robots and unmanned vehicles. Then we can loosen up health requirements and let more people in. Besides, all that hard physical training isn’t even fun anyways. Shooting things is fun.”
[outcome] gamers are the nation’s deadliest soldiers

[option] A portly man wearing camouflage bursts into your office, summersaults across the floor, then exhaustedly climbs on top of your desk. Regaining his breath, he says, “What does it matter what size I am? I may not be the fittest, but I have GUTS. No one should be turned down from service, whatever the so-called health problem.”
[validity] volunteer army
[outcome] the military accepts even the chronically sick since “they’ll just die soon anyway.”

[option 3b] A portly man wearing camouflage bursts into your office, summersaults across the floor, then exhaustedly climbs on top of your desk. Regaining his breath, he proclaims, “What does it matter what size I am? I may not be the fittest, but I have GUTS. All conscripts should do service, whatever the so-called health problem.”
[validity] conscription
[outcome] the military conscripts even the chronically sick since “they’ll just die soon anyway.”

[option] “On the contrary, the hefty have shown themselves to be superior soldiers to the skinny,” says sumo wrestling enthusiast @@RANDOMNAME@@. “A soldier with extra body mass is a lot better at grappling. We should be encouraging our soldiers to bulk up so they can crush the enemy.”
[outcome] soldiers are exchanging fatigues for mawashi.

[option] “This wouldn’t be a problem if our army was mechanized,” says military engineer @@RANDOMNAME@@, winding up a toy tank. “If you throw some @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ at me, we can carry out all of our operations through robots and unmanned vehicles. Then we can loosen up health requirements and let more people in. Besides, all that hard physical training isn’t even fun anyways. Shooting things is fun.”

It seems to me that *mechanizing* a military, as in making use of mechanized vehicles, wouldn't necessarily allow less fit individuals to serve more comfortably. After all, armored vehicles and tanks are notoriously cramped.

I think what you're advocating for is military *automation*, not mechanization.

Candensia wrote:

[option] “This wouldn’t be a problem if our army was mechanized,” says military engineer @@RANDOMNAME@@, winding up a toy tank. “If you throw some @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ at me, we can carry out all of our operations through robots and unmanned vehicles. Then we can loosen up health requirements and let more people in. Besides, all that hard physical training isn’t even fun anyways. Shooting things is fun.”

It seems to me that *mechanizing* a military, as in making use of mechanized vehicles, wouldn't necessarily allow less fit individuals to serve more comfortably. After all, armored vehicles and tanks are notoriously cramped.

I think what you're advocating for is military *automation*, not mechanization.

Alright, I was treating the terms as fairly synonymous. I'll change it.

Why can't you just make them lose weight as part of boot camp?

Australian rePublic wrote:Why can't you just make them lose weight as part of boot camp?

That would be a good status-quo option, since it seems to be the approach most current militaries currently take. I'll consider it, but personally I prefer the crazier options.