Should Cadets Under 18 be Required to Meet Weight Standards?

[LtCol White]

Your thread is about cadets and weight standards, not senior members. Remember??

Yes, sir.  However, cadets who are above age 18 are required to meet CAP weight standards in order to wear the AF-style uniforms. 

Correct. And no one on here has taken issue with that. But the question you asked when you opened the thread was in regards to cadets UNDER 18

Sorry for the digression, sir.  Unlike what someone said over at CS recently, I'm not a "topic master." 

Perhaps I should start a new thread. 

No prob. Just trying to keep this one on track. There hasn't been much discussion on cadets and weight. I think its a really good topic that needs to be addressed and justified as to why they should be exempt.

[JohnKachenmeister]

The CAP standard for weight control is not real good for adults, and potentially unhealthy for teenagers.

True.  I believe CAP should abolish its own weight standards and just stick with the Air Force standards.  Besides, the Air Force uniforms are designed to accomidate the Air Force weight standards, not CAP's.     

Above the screening weight, there must be a body fat analysis.  Muscle weighs more than fat.  Football players, weight-lifters, and others with a lot of muscle-mass will NEVER get down to their screening weight, unless a disease process intervenes.

CAP regs do not permit using body fat analysis, even though it is easy to do.

Excellent idea, sir!  The Air Force does.  Why shouldn't CAP?  Like you said, body fat analysis is easy to do. 

Your thread is about cadets and weight standards, not senior members. Remember??

My point was that applying the weight standard used on officers to cadet members would be unhealthy.  The weight standard as currently applied is an incomplete program.

Taking a well-muscled teenager and demanding he meet an arbitrary screening weight instead of measuring his overall fitness is dangerous.

[mikeylikey]

^^  The whole weight standard and evaluation thing would need to be revised.  Perhaps we should focus on developing a fitness program for Senior Members that are willing and able to undertake one. 

As far as cadets go, we can try to relay healthy life habits, but from my experience in CAP, most cadets PT once a month, and that only lasts around (how ever long the PT test takes) 30 minutes.  I used to encourage my fellow Officers to partake in PT with the cadets, but there was always an excuse.  I digressed, my apologies.