title: Obesity and the US military family.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review discusses the current knowledge and future directions regarding obesity within the US military family (i.e., active-duty servicemembers, as well as military spouses, children, retirees, and veterans). The increasing rates of overweight and obesity within the US military adversely impact military readiness, limit recruitment, and place a significant financial burden on the Department of Defense.
  
  
  METHODS
  The following topics are reviewed: 1) The prevalence of and the financial, physical, and psychological costs associated with overweight in military communities; 2) military weight regulations, and challenges faced by the military family related to overweight and disordered eating; 3) the continued need for rigorous program evaluations and new intervention development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overweight and its associated sequelae impact the entire military family. Military families share many similarities with their civilian counterparts, but they face unique challenges (e.g., stress related to deployments and relocations). Although the military has weight management resources, there is an urgent need for rigorous program evaluation and the development of enhanced obesity prevention programs across the lifespan of the military family-several of which are proposed herein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interdisciplinary and collaborative research efforts and team-based interventions will continue to inform understanding of obesity treatment and prevention within military and civilian populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanofsky-Kraff
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sbrocco
authors.forename: Kelly R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Theim
authors.forename: L Adelyn
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Eleanor R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Mackey
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stice
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McCreight
authors.forename: Edny J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Mark B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Stephens
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D050177:Overweight / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology