

Today's young generation also lives in popular culture of fast food that's grown exponentially in recent decades.

According to Fast Food Nation published last year, Americans spent about $6 billion on fast food in 1970; in 2000, they spent more than $110 billion.

"We're in fast-food times right now. We have fast-food establishments on base and off," said Maj. Euseekers Williams Jr., executive officer of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462. "It's up to us to make our Marines aware of basically what it is that fast food brings to them nutritionally… (and) what a good meal would do for you, physically and mentally."

What they often consider is that burgers, fries and tacos may taste good and are cheap and convenient, but in the long run are bad for their health and fitness. "They just don't realize what they're doing to their bodies when they get that quarter-pounder," Williams said.

Starting this month, the "Heavy Haulers" squadron will add Semper Fit nutrition and other classes to the regular training schedule, he said.

Fit, but ready?

The Marine Corps has the reputation of the fittest military service. It boasts the toughest physical standards and fitness tests -- which this summer are slated to get even stricter.

Every Marine must exercise regularly and pass the Corps' physical fitness test twice a year. Troops who fail the fitness test or are overweight are required to do a remedial exercise program to get into shape.

For several years, Marine Corps officials have been pushing the "Semper Fit" program to steer Marines and their families to a healthier lifestyle. The program offers classes on such topics as nutrition, tobacco cessation and stress management and assists units with their remedial fitness programs.

"When people think about the Marine Corps, they don't think about classes on nutrition or tobacco," Bird said. "They think of hard-chargers who carry guns."

In her job, she talks with troops fighting to lose weight, add pounds, get fitter or improve their health. "The Marine Corps is just a cross-section of society," she said.

Good health and fitness are important because "it all comes down to operational readiness," she said. "If they're healthy, they feel better. If they feel better, they perform better."

It wasn't long ago when military leaders would prescribe lots of physical training to get overweight or out-of-shape troops ready and fit for combat.

But eating the proper food counts, too, experts say.

Julie Carlson, an exercise physiologist at Miramar's fitness center, said that getting into good shape is 80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise.

Carlson, who teaches nutrition classes to out-of-shape troops in remedial programs, tells them to "make sure you're eating healthy and low fat, and exercising on top of that."

More military leaders are realizing that food -- specifically what and how much their troops eat -- is what separates the fit from the out-of-shape.

"It seems to be more of a nutritional issue than we used to think," said Williams. "We used to say, 'Just run and PT and you will get into shape.'" Now, he said, "we need to ensure that everyone eats properly."


