Army Body Composition Program
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The Army Body Composition Program (ABCP) is a United States Army program that dictates height and weight standards for all Active Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve Soldiers; the ABCP is covered in Army Regulation (AR) 600-9.[1] The program is designed to enhance and facilitate Soldier "readiness" and maintain optimal well-being and performance under all circumstances by instituting standards and guidelines designed to evaluate a Soldier's height, weight, and ability to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT).
The current publication of AR 600-9 changed the name from "The Army Weight Control Program" to "The Army Body Composition Program." The Army Weight Control Program was first published on 1 September 1986.[2] The primary goal of the Army Weight Control Program was to ensure the following:
Quoted from Army Regulation 600-9, Effective 1 October 1986:
"4. Objectives
a. The primary objective of the Army Weight Control Program is to insure that all personnel—
(1) Are able to meet the physical demands of their duties under combat conditions.
(2) Present a trim military appearance at all times.
b. Excessive body fat—
(1) Connotes a lack of personal discipline.
(2) Detracts from military appearance.
(3) May indicate a poor state of health, physical fitness, or stamina.
c. Objectives of the Army Weight Control Program are to—
(1) Assist in establishing and maintaining—
(a) Discipline.
(b) Operational readiness.
(c) Optimal physical fitness.
(d) Health.
(e) Effectiveness of Army personnel through proper weight control.
(2) Establish appropriate body fat standards.
(3) Provide procedures for which personnel are counseled to assist in meeting the standards prescribed in this regulation.
(4) Foster high standards of professional military appearance expected of all personnel."
Since the original AR 600-9 doctrine has been published, it has undergone many revisions. However, the overall objective of the program remains unchanged - to gauge the overall physical fitness of United States Army Soldiers to retain Soldiers best suited to the physical demands of military service.[3]
