Elite Spanish troops ordered to lose weight

THE Spanish Legion is to put its soldiers on a weightloss plan amid concerns that paunchy physiques may be tarnishing the image of the elite force.

The legionnaires recently attracted attention on social media for their lowcut uniforms at parades. But they are not always filled out by chiselled frames, according to an El Pais report.

A paper from the Brigade of the Legion’s Central Command said 3,000 soldiers would undergo body mass index testing followed by a year-long programme of diet and exercise for those found to be overweight. “Without a greater strictness, we will be condemned to the loss of prestige as a combat unit,” the document states.

It blamed a high average age, “physical deterioration”, boredom with training methods and a general social acceptance of excess weight. Those who fail to trim down face being barred from military parades, loss of bonuses, or expulsion from the legion.