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Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health (1998)

Chapter: E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses

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Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
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E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses

A sample letter of inquiry that was sent to civilian service organization follows, along with the table of responses from law enforcement and firefighting organizations. The responses are summarized in Chapter 3 of the report.

Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
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INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

2101 CONSTITUTION AVENUE, N.W. WASHINGTON, DC 20418

FOOD AND NUTRITION BOARD

COMMITTEE ON BODY COMPOSITION, NUTRITION,   AND HEALTH OF MILITARY WOMEN

(202) 334-1737 FAX (202) 334-2316

June 9, 1997

The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine has a contract with the U.S. Army to provide a set of recommendations regarding the following: body weight standards for active-duty military women, physical fitness standards for military women, and policies regarding weight loss and resumption of physical fitness testing after pregnancy. In formulating these recommendations, we are trying to compile a representative sample of comparable standards for women in other physically-active types of uniformed service such as police forces, firefighting services, emergency medical service, Secret Service, forestry service, and overseas military organizations. We would be extremely grateful if you would be willing to share information with us regarding whether your service maintains any of the types of standards or enforces any of the types of policies described. If you represent a number of services, please consider the range of policies you have observed.

Specifically, we would like you to consider the following questions:

I. Weight/Height Standards

Does you service require applicants or those currently employed to adhere to weight/height requirements or other body composition requirements?

If so, what are they? Are they age-specific? gender-specific?

If you know of a source or reference for your standards, what is it? Is your policy a written (formal) one?

If you measure body composition (body fat) in a way other than by weight and height (body mass index), what method do you use? Who does that measurement? (a fitness specialist? nurse? other?)

How often are current employees required to be weighed or measured?

If an employee is found to be over the standard for weight or fat, what is the procedure? (formal program? informal program? nutrition counseling? how long before reweighing? consequences?)

Does your service provide a nutrition education program of any type?

Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
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II. Physical Fitness Standards

Does your service require applicants and/or current employees to pass a physical fitness test?

If so, what are the components of the test; what constitutes "passing" (is it different according to gender or age or job description)?

How often must the test be taken by current employees?

If there is a source for your physical fitness test, what is it?

Is your policy regarding fitness testing a written one?

If an employee fails the test, what is the procedure? (How long does she/he have before being allowed/required to take it again? Is there a penalty for failing?)

III. Pregnancy Standards

Does your service have a formal policy regarding pregnant employees?

If so, what duty restrictions are imposed and at what stage of pregnancy? (Is there a consequence in terms of salary or promotion potential?)

Are pregnant employees waived from fitness requirements?

If your service has weight or fitness standards, how long are women given after delivery to return to compliance with weight and fitness standards? to return to full duty?

IV. Demographics

What percentage of your employees are women (if this is a service organization, about what percentage of your members or the employees in your area are women) and what is the size of your staff?

What is the average age of the women on your staff?

We realize that we have asked many questions, but this information is extremely valuable and crucial to us as it will help shape our response to the Army's request. Hence, your willingness to respond will help to influence policy for all the military. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions or pass the questionnaire along to those in your service who might be able to supply the answers. Or, if you believe there is another service or organization that would be able to supply us with more useful information, please forward the letter to them. You may fax your responses to us at the above fax number, email them to sydne@nas.edu, or if we do not hear from you, we will follow up with a call in a week. Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

Sydne Jennifer Newberry, Ph.D.

Program Officer

Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×

TABLE E-1 Body Composition, Fitness, and Task Performance Assessment among Civilian Law Enforcement and Fire Services

 

Recruitment Assessments

 

Retention Assessments

 

 

 

Body Composition

Fitness

Task Performance

Body Composition*

Fitness

Task Performance

Regular Training Requirement

Law enforcement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexandria, VA

 

No

?

No

N/A

Arlington Cty, VA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dade Cty, FL

No

No

No

No

No

No

N/A

Fairfax Cty, VA

No

 

 

No

 

 

N/A

Illinois, State of

?

?

?

 

 

 

N/A

Maryland, State of (training ctr)

No

?

No

?

N/A

Montgomery Cty, MD

No

 

No

No

No

N/A

Ontario, Canada

 

 

No

No

No

No

N/A

RCMP

 

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

Washington, DC

 

 

 

 

No

No

N/A

U.S. National Park Service

§

 

No (under revision)

§

 

No

N/A

U.S. FBI

 

 

No

No

#

No

N/A

U.S. Marshalls

No

 

No

No

 

No

Yes

Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×

Fire services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexandria, VA

 

 

No

 

 

 

N/A

Arlington Cty, VA

 

 

Yes (w/in 1 year of training completion)

 

 

No

 

Fairfax Cty, VA

§

 

No

§

 

In progress

N/A

Montgomery Cty, MD

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A?

 

 

N/A

Pike Township, IN

§

 

 

§

 

 

 

Seattle, WA

§

 

N/A?

§

 

N/A?

 

Washington, DC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Forest Service

No

 

Test development in progress

No

 

In progress

 

NOTE: N/A, not available; Cty, County; Ctr, Center; RCMP, Royal Canadian Mounted Police; U.S. FBI, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

* Annual unless specified.

Voluntary.

Treadmill test only.

§ Body composition part of fitness test/score.

Semiannual.

# Score for personal information only (does not carry consequences).

Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×
Page 285
Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×
Page 286
Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×
Page 287
Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×
Page 288
Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×
Page 289
Suggested Citation:"E Civilian Inquiry Letter and Table of Responses." Institute of Medicine. 1998. Assessing Readiness in Military Women: The Relationship of Body, Composition, Nutrition, and Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6104.
×
Page 290
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U.S. military personnel are required to adhere to standards of body composition, fitness, and appearance to achieve and maintain readiness—that is, the maintenance of optimum health and performance so they are ready for deployment at any moment. In 1992, the Committee on Military Nutrition Research reviewed the existing standards and found, among other things, that the standards for body composition required for women to achieve an appearance goal seemed to conflict with those necessary to ensure the ability to perform many types of military tasks. This report addresses that conflict, and reviews and makes recommendations about current policies governing body composition and fitness, as well as postpartum return-to-duty standards, Military Recommended Dietary Allowances, and physical activity and nutritional practices of military women to determine their individual and collective impact on the health, fitness, and readiness of active-duty women.

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