Starfleet Physical Fitness Standards

[Timo]

Thing is, fat doesn't hurt as such. Today, it may be incompatible with muscle, but it's easy enough to come up with a pill for muscle if you can do all the other Trek tricks. Why remove the fat? If anything, it makes your physical exercise more effective.

Fat is aesthetics. And there's no judging of "better" and "worse" in aesthetics, not in the long run. Clearly, accumulating two mounds of fat on your chest is no longer "better" in the particular bits of 22nd, 23rd and 24th centuries we see (except perhaps according to the Borg, but nobody asks them), or else our heroes would be doing that to the hilt. On the other hand, fat around the waist may be in fashion.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[2takesfrakes]

Being overweight can be a fetish for some, obviously. In certain parts of the world, particularly in The Third World, being fat is considered attractive, even a status symbol. And around the globe, not everyone can help being large. But it's not healthy to be overweight, regardless, and many studies support this. The other side of that same coin is that females, teens especially, feel pressured to be thin. Some take it to an extreme, because it's fashionable for famous models to. Which, in itself, is very dangerous and can become fatal, in the short term. Resultantly, there's a push to kind of downplay overweight concerns, because of that sort of thing, unfortunately. So, I'm not sure if it's an aesthetic, or not, because even a beer gut can cause a health risk.

All of which had me wondering about how this seemed to get a pass in STAR TREK, where we get to see actors who've "let themselves go," as it were, playing combat-ready officers. Even the making of TMP had seemed to encourage the TOS cast to get fit for their parts. Shatner had never looked more the part than he did in TMP. But after that, I don't know ... everybody starting saying "F-it" and this kind of spilled over into other series and movies, as well. Whereas, before, like I say ... it was kind of like, "OK everybody ... let's see you hit the gym." It made their characters look more believable as officers, as well.

 

[wayoung]

But it's not healthy to be overweight, regardless, and many studies support this.

In today's world no, but, by the 23rd century, the cure to every disease and negative health effect connected to obesity is merely a hypospray away.

 

[Deks]

In today's world no, but, by the 23rd century, the cure to every disease and negative health effect connected to obesity is merely a hypospray away.

But people in Trek (or at least the Federation) wouldn't be encouraged to do whatever they want with little to 0 regard to their own or others well-being.
A doctor can easily refuse treatment if they chose to do so and report the said person that they are actively damaging their health.
Granted, no doctor will probably refuse to treat a serious ailment (even if it is derived from self-inflicted obesity), but I also doubt they will go kindly on an individual who is actively doing this to themselves repeatedly - they do have councilors after all who can help others and determine what could be the root cause of this weight gain.

What we saw on-screen with fat admirals and such would likely be a problem with real-world actors who never really grew up knowing how to properly take care of themselves and grew up in a different time. Plus, they didn't have the benefit of living in Trek universe.

In Trek (aka, 'realistic Trek'), things like this would likely not occur at all, or would be extremely limited, and if something like that DID manage to occur, the people themselves would likely take the necessary steps to drop the weight on their own or with the help of a councilor end up in sessions to determine if there's a psychological issue at hand.

Though I can also think of various ways fat cells can be harvested for either recycling in the replicator, or creation of stem-cells that can be kept in storage for later treatments.
Either way, even if you are 1 operation away from removing the undesired fat away, people in Trek would likely not repeat the same mistake twice.
Hence, there's things like synthehol that allows indulgence in drinks that are the same as alcoholic beverages in smell/taste/texture, but without getting people intoxicated.

I suspect things would be same/similar with food. But if replicated foods are all plant based, they would intricately contain less calories by default (but still more than enough for exercise, etc.).

 

[Cyke101]

Throughout the STAR TREK franchise, we even see paunch on characters in the Command ranks. As well, some in Starfleet are beyond old. What about military preparedness? Combat readiness? Do no Physical Fitness Standards apply in the 23rd and 24th Centuries? Mister Scott, for example, couldn't (realistically) be expected to chase a Bad Guy through the corridors of the Enterprise, after TMP. He'd be winded, before he got 10 yards ...

That's why he got to zap a Klingon human assassin.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Throughout the STAR TREK franchise, we even see paunch on characters in the Command ranks. As well, some in Starfleet are beyond old. What about military preparedness? Combat readiness? Do no Physical Fitness Standards apply in the 23rd and 24th Centuries? Mister Scott, for example, couldn't (realistically) be expected to chase a Bad Guy through the corridors of the Enterprise, after TMP. He'd be winded, before he got 10 yards ...

I completely agree. But that said, it's a TV show and I suspend disbelief.

However, there is a scene in the novel Indistinguishable From Magic where...

Spoiler: Indistinguishable From Magic

Scotty is relieved of command after failing Starfleet's physical fitness tests

..and it's utterly heartbreaking.

But he takes it in his stride:

Spoiler: what happens next

He immediate continues his work as a "civilian adviser" and pretty much nothing's changed.

 

[Tenacity]

However, there is a scene in the novel Indistinguishable From Magic where...

Spoiler: what happens next

He immediate continues his work as a "civilian adviser" and pretty much nothing's changed.

Probably with a bigger paycheck.

I'll just go to Dr. Phlox

Phlox was decidedly pear shaped, regardless that he was a civilian, wouldn't he also have to pass the Starfleet requirements of the day? He was working aboard a starship.

The fact we have to defend the Federation from Klingons is irrelevant.'

Captain: "Fire."
Crewman: "Sorry Captain, but I'm so fat and weak that I can't push the firing button with the requisite hundred grams of pressure to initiate the phaser banks."

What we saw on-screen with fat admirals

Different people have different body type, plus in later years (it takes time to make admiral) the metabolism slows.

Being fat might be the same as Picard being bald, yes they could do something about it, but it's no longer important to do so. As long as they're still able to fit through the doors of the turbolift.

Riker obviously gain weight over the years, I can't remember it ever interfering with his duties.

after all, Starfleet's primary mission is one of exploration - I don't see it as a proper military, like the navy or air force

I'm the opposite, I do see Starfleet as a "proper military."

(hey, let's get into this again)

 

[2takesfrakes]

I suppose, also, that STAR TREK fans with weight problems might take heart at seeing their Heroes as carrying some extra baggage, if you like. And pensioners, as well. Having Kirk win the day at a hundred and two probably has made many older fans happy. Like Spock's famous - infamous, rather - nerve pinching the punk on the bus. "That's right, Spock! Get that little asshole!" The Undiscovered Country also touched on this, of course, with the Spock's Joke scene. STAR TREK should lift the spirits. If it inspires, then the Lottery's been won. But I'm all for feeling good about something - even if it's just for a little while ...

 

[jamestyler]

Phlox was decidedly pear shaped, regardless that he was a civilian, wouldn't he also have to pass the Starfleet requirements of the day? He was working aboard a starship.

Considering how he got there, I don't think giving him a fitness test would have been a priority.

This kind of discussion admittedly confuses me. I was told I had to be fit and in peak shape by the army. This concern was voiced by an overweight sergeant. I doubt he'd have passed the fitness tests I did, yet he was still on active duty.

 

[Retu]

When I was doing my conscription, the CO of our Air Command was a bit on the heavy side as well (think Admiral Paris in Voyager). That still didn't stop him from strapping himself at the backseat of a fighter every now and then during exercises. After that he was bumped upstairs as the Commander of the Air Force.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

What about mental fitness, for that matter? NuMcCoy claims to have aviophobia, thought I suppose there are certain degrees to which such a fear manifests. Both McCoys don't like transporters, either, nor does Barclay, who's also somewhat of a hypochondriac.

 

[T'Arwen]

Fat isn't just aesthetics but at the same time, it's only one part of the story. Just look at these two cases.

http://fatgirlrunning-fatrunner.blogspot.com/
http://jessamynstanley.com/

The link on the bottom is a woman who does headstands for yoga. I get that these women are not typical cases but unless someone is morbidly obese, fat level is not a good measure of health. That said, I don't think most Trek actors who let themselves go are also fit, though Shatner can still ride horses.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I wasn't looking to turn STAR TREK into "Mike & Molly," or anything. Really, I wasn't ...

What about mental fitness, for that matter? NuMcCoy claims to have aviophobia, thought I suppose there are certain degrees to which such a fear manifests. Both McCoys don't like transporters, either, nor does Barclay, who's also somewhat of a hypochondriac.

As much as Movie Kirk & Scotty are the posterboys for heavyset dudes of Starfleet, Barclay's the posterboy for the borderline mentally insane in that organisation. He's like Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer. Even though there's something wrong with him, Starfleet has use for his unique talent, so takes full advantage of it, whilst offering the pretense of acceptance. There are several cartoonish characters in STAR TREK, but Barclay takes the cake for it, with his relentless, unremitting message to the audience that TNG is just a TV show.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Phlox is a genetically engineered alien. It's certainly plausible that he could run circles around any Starfleet officer in a PT test, if he ever had to.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I don't know ... the crew were playing basketball, one time, in the cargo bay and Phlox was just standing around, like he simply didn't have the gumption. Like his Get Up & Go ... Got Up & Went. They'd toss him the ball once or twice, to mark their annoyance at him, but he never exhibited any degree of special physicality.

 

[Galactic Alignment]

I wonder if different jobs aboard a Starfleet ship or installation have different fitness standards – a space anthropologist or vending machine repair technician would need to be less fit than a tactical officer, for example. Then again, the tactical officer position raises some issues – what happens if you have a tactical officer who's highly skilled on the bridge console, but flabby and overweight and asthmatic?

 

[stardream]

I hate to the 'that' person but it is interesting that the posts so far (unless I missed one. Read it on it on my kindlefire- print is kind of small) that all the references are about overweight MEN. If an admiral who happens to be a woman showed up on screen overweight and not looking as though she has worked out for a year get the same pass that some are giving the out of shape looking men?

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I can't think of a (supposedly) overweight female officer offhand. Generally, female guest stars are chosen for their beauty (if they're to be a love interest, particularly TOS-era) or their actress name recognition (TNG and onward).

 

[Kor]

In the real military, technically, even top-ranking generals are still subject to physical fitness standards. But the reality is that there are some generals who wouldn't pass, and nobody in their right mind would dare write up a general for not showing up for a fitness test, or not passing.

Kor

 

[RAMA]

I always thought that being well-rounded, both mentally and physically sharp was a good characteristic to aspire to in life and would be especially desirable in a contained area (even a large one) in space.

One thing I really liked about Enterprise is that everyone was fairly fit and were even shown keeping up on it.

RAMA