Your waistline and national security.

From that fascinating and occasionally incomprehensible land across the Pacific (or the Atlantic depending on whether I'm thinking as a Brit or an expat down under) comes the latest assault on anyone who simply wants to be left alone to live their own lives, a joint attack from the foodie health police and the perpetual war mob as well.

Increasing rates of obesity among young Americans could undermine the future of the US military, with potential recruits increasingly too fat to serve, two retired generals said today.

"Obesity rates threaten the overall health of America and the future strength of our military," generals John Shalikashvili and Hugh Shelton, both former chairs of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a commentary.

Obesity disqualified more potential recruits for military service than any other medical factor, the two former commanders wrote in the Washington Post.

The two generals urged Congress to adopt legislation that would ensure better nutrition in schools, offering children more vegetables, fruits and whole grains while cutting back on foods with high sugar, sodium and fat content.

"We consider this problem so serious from a national security perspective that we have joined more than 130 other retired generals, admirals and senior military leaders in calling on Congress to pass new child nutrition legislation," wrote the commanders, part of a non-profit group called Mission: Readiness.

Child nutrition legislation? Oh good grief. You just know that it's only a matter of time before this is repeated here or in the UK (if it hasn't been mentioned already).

"We must act, as we did after World War II, to ensure that our children can one day defend our country, if need be."

I can see where they're coming from, but Jesus Christ... The most admirable thing about America is that it's a nation founded on the idea of liberty.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator* with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

How does legislating people's diets fit in with that?

'Kinell.

* Which should still apply even if you think your creators were a couple of people bumping uglies because there was nothing on TV.