text: The general in charge of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command has warned that America’s growing obesity epidemic ‘is becoming a national security issue.’ Major General Allen Batschelet says that 10 percent of young men and women who sign up to join the Army are currently refused because they are too heavy. Batschelet warns that current trends mean as many as half of young Americans will be so grossly overweight by the end of the decade that the military will be unable to recruit enough qualified soldiers. Scroll down for video . As many as half of young Americans will be so grossly overweight by the end of the decade that the military will be unable to recruit enough qualified soldiers. Major General Allen Batschelet says that 10 percent of young men and women who sign up to join the Army are currently refused because they are too heavy . 'The obesity issue is the most troubling because the trend is going in the wrong direction,' he told CNN. 'We think by 2020 it could be as high as 50 percent, which mean only 2 in 10 would qualify to join the Army. It's a sad testament to who we are as a society right now.' Of the 195,000 young men and women who signed up to fight for our country in 2014, only 72,000 qualified. Some didn't make the cut because they had a criminal background, too many tattoos or a lack of education - but 10 percent didn't qualify because they were overweight. According to the CDC, 81 percent of overweight boys and 71 percent of overweight girls believe they are just the right weight. Army recruiters, facing overweight prospective soldiers who are eager to sign up, have become fitness coaches - much like the trainers on NBC's The Biggest Loser. Boot camp: The maximum body fat percentage that the army allows for recruits aged 17-20 is 20 percent for men and 30 percent for females . The recruiters will spend time educating the hopefuls on diet and exercise and encourage them to lose the pounds necessary to qualify for boot camp. Many still fail to make the grade, but some do - such as a female recruit from Kansas who lost 80 pounds in a year so that she could sign up. 'We are the premier leader on personal development in the world,' said Batschelet. 'We want to see you grow and become a leader. That is a great strength in our Army.' The maximum body fat percentage that the Army allows for recruits aged 17-20 is 20 percent for men and 30 percent for females. The maximum a female soldier, aged 17-20, can weigh is 227 pounds, while the maximum for a male soldier in the same age group is 234 pounds and in both instances that is dependent on being 80 inches tall. Obesity rates have tripled in a generation with more than one-third of U.S. adults now considered obese, while 17 percent of all children and adolescents in the U.S. are obese. Army recruiters are having to act like the trainers on NBC's The Biggest Loser (ex-trainer Jillian Michaels pictured above) when they met prospective soldiers who are eager to sign up but are too fat to fight .
target: General in charge of US Army recruiting has warned that America's growing obesity epidemic 'is becoming a national security issue'
  Major General Allen Batschelet says 10 percent of young men and women are currently refused because they are too heavy .
  Current trends project that the military will be unable to recruit enough qualified soldiers by the end of the decade .
  Maximum body fat percentage that the army allows for recruits aged 17-20 is 20 percent for men and 30 percent for females .