The number of U.S. military service members on weight-loss drugs have jumped nearly 100-fold since 2018, according to a recent analysis of Defense Department data.

On Thursday, Stars and Stripes, an independent military publication, reported on the study posted in the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, a peer-reviewed journal for the armed forces. According to the latest report out in January, the prevalence of weight-loss drug prescriptions for U.S. military personnel skyrocketed from 1.2 per 100,000 service members in 2018 to 104.4 per 100,000 members in June 2023.

“Use of weight loss medications will likely continue to increase due to the ongoing obesity epidemic in the U.S.,” researchers noted, with obesity among the armed forces already on the rise. The prevalence of obesity jumped from just more than 16 percent among full-time active service members to nearly 19 percent in 2021. Roughly 67 percent of the U.S. adult population aged 18 and older were qualified as either obese or overweight in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The CDC estimates the Pentagon spends about $1.5 billion in obesity-related health costs and loses 658,000 work days due to it each year. In 2018, the Department of Defense authorized the use of four weight-loss drugs due to the crisis within the military’s ranks.

U.S. lockdowns accelerated the pace of weight gain with nearly 10,000 Army service members emerging obese, according to the Associated Press last spring. Military prescriptions for weight-loss drugs went from 7 in January 2018 to 816 in June 2023. Weight-loss injections such as semaglutide, which was included in the list of medications covered in 2021, can carry severe side effects, from kidney damage to stomach paralysis. (Read more from “Alarming Surge: U.S. Military Sees 100-Fold Increase in Weight-Loss Drug Prescriptions” HERE)

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On January 1, 2024, two hundred thirty-one current and former service members from various branches of the United States Armed Forces came together to sign the “Declaration of Military Accountability.”

This document, spearheaded by Commander Robert A. Green Jr. of the U.S. Navy, marks a significant moment in military history, calling for sweeping reforms and accountability within the Armed Forces.

Veteran Brad Miller wrote on X, “At 4 am EST today (a few min ago), senior military leaders received an email with a letter attached called the Declaration of Military Accountability. I know because I sent the email. I sent it on behalf of myself & 230 other signatories of the letter.”

“The letter is not addressed to the military leaders but rather to the American people. The email was merely to inform these military leaders that there is group of troops & vets pledging to the American public that we will do everything lawfully within our power to stop the willful destruction of our military by its own leadership. Let’s take our country back in 2024 & let’s begin by defending our military from its own leadership. You can find the body of the letter below. Soon we’ll have it on a website where you can find it as well, along with the names of the 231 signatories.

“The signatories, in their open letter to the American public, emphasize the importance of moral and religious foundations as articulated by Second U.S. President John Adams, stressing that the Constitution is designed for a society grounded in these values,” he added. (Read more from “231 U.S. Service Members Demand Court-Martials Over Forced COVID Shots” HERE)

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By Daily Caller. The Biden administration is urging the Iraqi government to protect American troops stationed in Iraq against attacks from Iranian-backed militias, according to multiple reports.

There have been 38 confirmed attacks against U.S. targets in Syria and Iraq since the Hamas Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israel, raising concerns of a broader regional conflict in the Middle East. The Biden administration believes the Iraqi government has the capacity to protect these U.S. forces within the region and hopes the country will do so, the State Department told Rudaw Media Network Bureau Chief Duyar Kurda.

‘We believe that the Iraqi government does have the ability to hold those groups accountable, and we believe that that work is ongoing,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told Kurda.

Scenes from the operations of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which targeted US bases. pic.twitter.com/goSBFV35yy

— S p r i n t e r X (@SprinterX99880) November 6, 2023

(Read more from “Biden Admin Pleads With Iraq To Protect U.S. Troops in Region From Attacks” HERE)

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Attacks on U.S. Troops in Middle East Spike Amid Military Buildup

By Politico. Attacks on American troops dramatically ramped up over the weekend, the Pentagon said Monday, as the U.S. military sent ships and a submarine into the region.

U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Syria have been attacked by rockets and drones 38 times since Oct. 17, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Monday, an increase from 31 on Friday afternoon. Forty-six service members in total have now reported injuries from the attacks, which he called “harassing,” he said.

Ryder did not specify the source of the attacks, but the Pentagon has recently blamed similar events on Iran-backed proxies.

Sunday was a particularly violent day, with five rocket and one-way drone attacks near Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq, and in two locations in Syria, according to a Defense Department official, who was granted anonymity to give details on a sensitive topic.

The U.S. military was able to thwart most of the attacks, the official said, adding that the majority of missiles and drones failed to reach their targets. (Read more from “Attacks on U.S. Troops in Middle East Spike Amid Military Buildup” HERE)

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