Army Changing Weight Standards for Women

FYI for all you soldiers out there:

In a move officials say acknowledges the fact that women come in different body shapes, the Army has raised its weight standards for females across the board.

The new regulations, which went into effect Monday, allow female soldiers to weigh anywhere from six to 19 pounds more than was previously permitted, depending on their height and age.

By increasing the maximum allowable weights, but not the maximum allowable body fat percentages, the Army is “identifying what’s really out there in society” but not compromising the Army’s standards, Timms said.

For example, women 17 to 20 years old who are 67 inches tall, or 5 feet 7 inches, can now weigh up to 159 pounds, instead of 145 pounds.

A woman that height who is 21 to 27 years old can weigh up to 161 pounds, instead of 149 pounds.

A female soldier who is 28 to 39 years old can now weigh 163, up from 154, and one who is more than 40 years old can weigh up to 166 pounds, instead of 159 pounds.

Maximum allowable body fat percentages for women in the following age groups are: for 17-20, 30 percent; for 21-27, 32 percent; for 28-39, 34 percent; and for women 40 and older, 36 percent.

 This is actually long overdue because often I have seen more women that need to be taped during a weigh-in than men but the vast majority of the women make the body fat percentage.  So basically this new regulation will just make weigh-ins move along faster since not as many females will need to be taped.