Young Chinese ‘too fat and oversexed to join the army’
Didi Tang, Beijing
August 22 2017, 5:00pm,
The Times
The People’s Liberation Army blames overeating and masturbation for the poor fitness levels seen among potential recruits
The People’s Liberation Army blames overeating and masturbation for the poor fitness levels seen among potential recruits
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An increasing number of Chinese men and women who try to join the biggest military in the world are failing fitness tests because they are fat and masturbate too much, state media have proclaimed.

The high attrition rates for potential army recruits has prompted concerns that there may soon be too few fit youths to fill the ranks.

Chinese authorities believe that poor diet is a big part of the problem but also that frequent masturbation by young men leads to larger-than-normal testicular veins, and a resultant fall in fitness levels. The excessive use of smartphones, and drinking water with too high a mineral content are other factors, according to a report published in the People’s Liberation Army Daily, the state-run military newspaper.

Citing official conscription statistics, it said that in one unnamed city 56.9 per cent of candidates were rejected after failing the fitness test — with one in five being simply too fat.

The findings echo statistics collated by education authorities who have said that the country’s youth are becoming unhealthy.


Across the country there has been an alarming increase in the number of people in their twenties collapsing during moderate exercise. In 2012 Major- General Luo Yuan, a leading figure in the People’s Liberation Army, bemoaned the poor quality of army recruits. “With such a lack of character and determination and such physical weakness, how can they shoulder the heavy responsibility?” he asked.

The People’s Liberation Army Daily blamed the number of additives in popular foods and in fizzy drinks for poor liver and gallbladder function.

Excessive use of electronic gadgets is believed to have damaged the eyesight of an increasing number of potential recruits, with 46 per cent of all those rejected by the army failing the vision test, the report said.

Some health problems are regional. Local water with too high a mineral content has led to a high number of cases of liver and gallbladder stones in candidates, the report said.