A surge in military spending on GLP-1 medications like Ozempic has triggered criticism from current and former troops questioning long-term health impacts and readiness priorities.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Spending records show the U.S. military has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars toward weight-loss medications in recent years, drawing criticism from service members who question whether the approach addresses underlying readiness concerns.
A 2025 analysis from the American Security Project found that about 68 percent of Reserve and National Guard personnel are classified as overweight, prompting renewed focus on physical fitness standards across the force. Following the findings, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded publicly, stating, “Completely unacceptable. This is what happens when standards are IGNORED – and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness & weight standards are here. We will be FIT, not FAT.”
Ref 0301 Ready the Reserve Obesitys Impacts on National Guard and Reserve Readiness by yourNEWS Media
However, subsequent disclosures highlighted a parallel effort relying heavily on pharmaceutical intervention. A report labeled “Waste of the Day” by RealClearInvestigations detailed significant government purchases of GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Trulicity.
Data obtained through Open the Books shows nearly $726 million has been spent on these medications since 2021, including $274.6 million in fiscal year 2025 alone. The purchases—more than 102,000 transactions—were made through the Defense Logistics Agency under troop support programs, with most funds directed to pharmaceutical distributor Cencora.
Criticism from within the military community has been sharp. according to Gateway Pundit report. Retired Navy Medical Service Corps officer Lt. Ted Macie said the trend reflects a deeper issue with enforcement and culture, citing figures from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database showing a rise in obesity diagnoses from an average of 13,863 cases between 2016 and 2019 to 21,969 between 2020 and 2023. The data, also reported, shows cases climbing from 12,249 to 35,531 during that period.
Macie criticized reliance on medication, calling it “yet another bandage on a broken leg, and this one comes with a nearly billion-dollar tax burden and for avoidable poor choices.” He added, “It’s frustrating to watch policies that miss the mark while service members pay the price,” pointing to potential side effects such as “bone and muscle loss, vision issues, kidney problems.”
He also argued that inconsistent enforcement of fitness standards undermines readiness. “These commanders can’t preach fitness while rewarding the opposite,” he said, adding that the financial commitment to drug-based solutions is “very shortsighted” and may lead to future health costs.
Retired Army Sgt. First Class Josh Snodgrass also questioned the strategy, stating, “No, I’m not okay with this.” He added, “Spending hundreds of millions on drugs like Ozempic raises a basic question: what are the long-term health effects, especially when used broadly across a force?”
Snodgrass said the issue reflects broader systemic challenges. “More importantly, how did we get to a point where weight gain across the force requires pharmaceutical intervention at this scale?” he asked. He pointed to lapses in enforcement, saying, “Standards not being enforced the way they should have been,” and noted that such problems “start in basic training.”
While acknowledging legitimate medical exceptions, Snodgrass questioned the scale of the spending. “At some point, you have to ask whether someone who requires ongoing pharmaceutical support to meet basic physical standards is fit for service in the first place,” he said. He also called for transparency: “This level of spending doesn’t just raise eyebrows. It demands accountability.”
An active-duty Army Green Beret with more than 15 years of service, speaking anonymously, expressed disbelief at the expenditures, stating, “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me.” He described the costs as “outrageous” and said the approach appears inconsistent with the military’s emphasis on discipline and physical readiness.
“I can’t even pretend to understand what goes into these haphazard decisions,” he said, adding concerns about oversight and potential misuse. “Without knowing the criteria… this is going to be something that’s going to be used and abused regardless of whether it was well-intentioned or not.”
The spending surge comes amid broader efforts to address rising obesity rates within the armed forces, with leadership signaling renewed emphasis on fitness standards while simultaneously expanding access to pharmaceutical treatments.