# Overweight Italian



## atticus (3 Nov 2004)

This would never happen here: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/italy_military_health

ROME (AFP) - A young woman volunteer has been banned from the Italian army for being too fat, media reported. 


AFP/ANSA/File Photo 

   

The 1.65-metre (5.4-foot) tall 21-year-old, identified only by her first name, Francesca, was considered unsuitable for the army as her 78.5 kilos (173 pounds) was "incompatible with the parametres of physical aptitude of military service", it said. 


She had argued before an administrative tribunal in the central coastal city of Ancona that she had passed her first army medical, but then put on weight during her first 10 months of training due to the stodgy food served. 


But her argument did not hold weight with the court, which said that she had failed to lose her surplus kilos during a convalescence period given her by the military go to on a diet. 


However, her lawyer said on Tuesday she was not going to take the matter lightly, and that she would appeal the ruling. 


He said that for Francesca, who hails from Catania in Sicily, "the army was her choice of lifestyle and a work opportunity. 


"I don't think that all the military you come across in Italy have perfect figures," he said. 


The woman joined the Ascoli Piceno regiment near


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## Matt_Fisher (3 Nov 2004)

Reminds me of being in Nasiriyah in July 2003 and we were doing our AOR handover to the Italians.   We were directly being replaced by a battalion from one of their Alpine regiments.

Alot of the Marines were looking at these guys with a "What the f*ck?" kind of attitude due to the huge plumes they were wearing in their helmets.   Myself and a few others were more interested to finding out who these guys were and such.  We were talking to one of their junior officers as to what unit they were and such, and he replied in a very strong Italian accented English "We are _elite_ infantry" as he was touting off about his "elite" unit's lineage and "eliteness" there was that there was this other Italian soldier of his unit standing behind him who probably weighed in close to 300 pounds of pure obesity.


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## clasper (3 Nov 2004)

> ...her lawyer said on Tuesday she was not going to take the matter lightly...



Of course not- how could she? ;D


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## Lost_Warrior (7 Nov 2004)

> The 1.65-metre (5.4-foot) tall 21-year-old, identified only by her first name, Francesca, was considered unsuitable for the army as her 78.5 kilos (173 pounds) was "incompatible with the parametres of physical aptitude of military service", it said.



Good god.  5"4 and 173 pounds?  Talk about a little butter ball 

Seriously though, how can someone that size expect to maintain a battle ready state?  It's enough she has to carry her own weight around, but what if buddy is hit beside her, and how she has to waddle her own weight and that of the wounded soldier? 

Im sure some will say "I have seen fat people in better shape than most guys in the army" or something of that sort, but from all personal experiences, overweight people just held the platoon back.  They couldn't do the push ups, they couldn't run the PT, they couldn't do the sit ups, the couldn't do the ruck marches...and all these deficencies, we as a platoon had to make up for.  Sure it promoted team work, but it's still discouraging knowing you will probably have to carry buddies ruck sack for the next 4 km's because his heart is about to explode...EVERY TIME...


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## wang (8 Nov 2004)

if this happened in the canadian army she would be on the front page of the maple leaf, mcleans and there would be a special on her on TDV. the canadian army has some of the fattest most disgusting people in uniform i have ever seen. 
  once while i was in gagetown i say a gal so fat she had to have her combats fitted with a patch of extra fabric on the back because they didnt make sizes big enough for her. i wanted to puke when i saw her, but then i would have had to watch her eat it.


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## GerryCan (8 Nov 2004)

Whoa and I thought I was bad with foot-in-mouth disease.

Anyone have any idea of a CF policy that states anything about a member being too overweight? Yeah, I know we have so pretty big people as we are a pretty 'big' country, but I've never heard of anyone being punted or threatened for that matter for obesity.
I have heard from american troops that if they don't maintain their expected level of fitness they'll get put on C&P and if it continues, they'll get the boot.
Perhaps our numbers wouldn't support a program as such? Or does NDHQ not really care about the issue?


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## atticus (9 Nov 2004)

I have no clue what CF policy is on this but it is a known fact that there is some pretty large people in uniform these days. There are two quite large guys in my unit that I know of that are making it up the ranks without a problem.


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## hiv (9 Nov 2004)

Not exactly a police on obesity but if you read the dress regs there's a section forbidding overweight people from wearing their CF sweaters due to the poor public image it displays to the public. I've always wanted to see someone get called on that.


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## QORvanweert (11 Nov 2004)

I think that they did the right thing. If she is not able to complete her orders then she should be given the boot, I myself am 190 pounds and 6'1 and have the remnants of a few too many vitamin beers/wings under my belt and PT is hard enough.. I would hate to be around 230 (the equivalent) and still have to do the same things... she must be a gutsy girl to have made it this far though.


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