WASHINGTON－School lunches have been called many things, but a group of retired military officers is giving them a new label: national security threat.
That's not a reference to the mystery meat served up in the cafeteria line either. The retired officers are saying that school lunches have helped make the nation's young people so fat that fewer of them can meet the military's physical fitness standards, and recruitment will be difficult.
A new report being released Tuesday says more than 9 million young adults, or 27 percent of all Americans ages 17 to 24, are too overweight to join the military. Now, the officers are advocating for passage of a wideranging nutrition bill that aims to make the nation's school lunches healthier.
The military group acknowledges that other things keep young adults out of the armed services, such as a criminal record or the lack of a high school diploma. But weight problems that have worsened over the past 15 years are now the leading medical reason that recruits are rejected.
Although all branches of the military now meet or exceed recruitment goals, retired Navy Rear Adm. James Barnett Jr., a member of the officers group, says the obesity trend could affect that.
“When over a quarter of young adults are too fat to fight, we need to take notice，” Barnett said. He noted that national security in the year 2030 is “absolutely dependent” on reversing child obesity rates.
This isn't the first time the military has gotten involved in the debate over school lunches. During World War Ⅱ， military leaders had the opposite problem, reporting that many recruits were rejected because of stunted growth and inadequate nutrition. After the war, military leaders pushed Congress to establish the national school lunch program so children would grow up healthier.
Today, the group is urging Congress to eliminate junk food and highcalorie beverages from schools, put more money into the school lunch program and develop new strategies that help children develop healthier habits.
小题1:What is the main problem of the lunches in schools according to the military officers?
A．The meat in the lunches is mysterious.
B．The lunches are too expensive.
C．The lunches contain too much fat.
D．There is inadequate nutrition in the lunches.小题2:The underlined word “obesity” in Paragraph 5 means ________.
A．slow in mind
B．state of being fat
C．quick in movement
D．lack of confidence小题3:Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A．The lunches in American schools are not very healthy.
B．During World War Ⅱ，many people could not join the army because of overweight.
C．According to the author , overweight was the key reason why many recruits were rejected.
D．By now, Congress hasn't eliminated junk food and highcalorie beverages from schools.小题4:Which of the following is the best title for the article?
A．School lunches: a national security threat?
B．National security in danger ?
C．Retired officers tired of school lunches
D．The recruitment of 2030
