The Defence Forces should set fitness levels for the rest of society, including students, Fine Gael spokesman Jimmy Deenihan said.
He said that since the Defence Forces had set their own level of fitness in the 1980s, and refined it in the 1990s, it had increased considerably.
"I am not asking that they should be involved in visiting schools or the general population, but they could set the levels of fitness attainment as they have done with their own personnel. That is done in West Point in the US. Universities throughout the US look to West Point for the desired levels of fitness for particular age groups.
"There is nothing like that in primary and post-primary schools here where we now have a major obesity problem, with one in five children under 12 obese or overweight. There is a similar problem in the adult population."
Mr Deenihan claimed there was a need for someone to set the standard, because the Minister for Education and Science had failed to do so.
"There is no great interest, apart from a number of small initiatives from the Department of Health and Children. No one is taking responsibility for the general fitness of the population or even issuing guidelines that are credible and the Army could have a role to play in this regard.
"The Army could allow the public access to their facilities throughout the country.
"For example, the new gymnasium in the Curragh cost €6 million, but it lies idle when the military are not using it. That facility could be used. Before the last election, the Minister promised to provide a new state-of-the-art gymnasium-sports hall in Limerick. I suggest that the schools in Southill, Moyross and elsewhere should be allowed to use that facility when it is built."
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said he was relieved to hear that Mr Deenihan's proposal did not involve the Army going to schools, because it had about 25 fitness instructors and there were 4,000 schools in the State.
He added that he would have no problem with the the Minister for Education and Science, who had responsibility in that area, using the physical standards set by the Army in schools.
He said that people could have access to the proposed new gymnasium in Limerick.
"It is a matter for the military commander in each individual area."
