Impact of military culture and experiences on eating and weight-related behavior
Abstract: Disordered eating behaviors and obesity are becoming increasingly common among United States military personnel. However, little research has explored the role of the military environment as it may influence the development of disordered eating among personnel. The present qualitative analysis examined beliefs about how military experiences affected eating and weight-related behaviors. Military personnel who served within the last year and a year or more ago (n = 250) were recruited using Amazon's Mechanical Turk (mTurk). Data included in the present study consisted of participant responses to three open-ended questions, analyzed by means of content and thematic analysis. Analyses yielded eight themes: eating extremely quickly, strict mealtime regimens, the pressure to “make weight,” food insecurity, difficulty after military, food quality/content, overeating behavior, and military superior maltreatment. The current study provides a preliminary examination of the role of the military culture and experiences in the development of unhealthy eating and weight-related behaviors and offers suggestions for future research and interventions.
Abstract: A better understanding of the weaknesses and strengths of the military’s racial grievance reporting and redress system is needed to understand where and how it can be improved to encourage racial grievance reporting, facilitate timely and effective responses, and promote a more inclusive environment to better support the careers, satisfaction, and well-being of minority service members. The authors identified gaps, ambiguities, inconsistencies, and reported problems in the military racial grievance system through an examination of policies and structures and offered recommendations to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the armed forces.