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Marine Corps Adopts Waist-to-Height Screening With 0.52 Cutoff

The Corps uses a stricter WHtR than the Pentagon’s 0.55 to prioritize health-focused, performance-linked assessments.

Overview

  • Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Marines will undergo semiannual WHtR checks across active-duty and reserve components.
  • Marines exceeding 0.52 will receive a body-fat assessment via the tape test or bioelectrical impedance analysis, with BIA planned to replace the tape test once fielded.
  • The service’s sex- and age-normed body-fat limits remain in place, high PFT/CFT scorers receive allowances capped at 26% for men and 36% for women, and the existing 1% allowance for 250+ scores remains.
  • All measurements conducted since Jan. 1 must be reevaluated under WHtR, waivers may be granted case by case, and BCP assignments since Jan. 1 found within the new standards will be deleted as erroneous.
  • The Marine Corps will conduct a comprehensive body composition study later this year to assess and refine its standards.