Military youth and obesity: A review of the existing literature 1990-2014

Approximately 1.9 million youth have a parent serving in the US military, yet we do not have accurate, comprehensive prevalence rates of obesity among this population. Our purpose was to conduct a review of the published research on obesity prevalence rates and interventions among military youth, including studies that report on weight-related measures such as body mass index, blood pressure, physical activity, diet/nutrition, and screen-time behaviors. Eight studies were found pertaining to childhood obesity in military populations including the Air Force, Army, and Navy. Our review revealed significant gaps in the literature regarding obesity prevalence and interventions targeted at military youth. We provide recommendations for future research to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity among military youth and prevention and interventions efforts for overweight and obesity with military youth.