Bulky US troops turn to liposuction to pass Pentagon fitness test

Service members who failed the so-called "tape test" are turning to liposuction to remove excess fat (AP)

US military personnel are turning to liposuction to remove excess fat from around the waist so they can pass a Pentagon fitness test.

Some service members say they have no other choice because the Defence Department’s method of estimating body fat is weeding out not just flabby physiques but bulkier, muscular builds. Some fitness experts agree, and they are calling for the military’s fitness standards to be revamped.

Defence officials said only a fraction of those who exceed body fat limits perform well on fitness tests. Pentagon officials said the military does not condone surgical alterations to pass the test.

AP