34% of Metro cops overweight
‘We are targeting that we should be at the recommended weight loss based on the average which is required by the Department of Health’
Photograph Courtesy of NCRPO/fb
Daily Tribune‘We are targeting that we should be at the recommended weight loss based on the average which is required by the Department of Health’
Photograph Courtesy of NCRPO/fb
More than 7,000 or around 34 percent of policemen in Metro Manila are overweight and obese, according to the National Capital Region Police Office.
Alarmed by a large number of obese PNP personnel, the NCRPO, led by P/Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. launched the Bantay Oplan Kalusugan that seeks to help police officers lose weight through diet and exercise.
"For NCRPO, we have more than 7,400 police officers who are obese and overweight. That is around 34 percent of NCRPO total strength of 23,000," P/Lt. Jumelle Cuyco, operations officer of NCRPO Regional Medical and Dental Unit and focal person for Oplan Kalusugan, said in an interview at the Hinirang Hall in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
Cuyco said overweight cops will be evaluated by their medical officers after the assessment.
Aside from physical activity interventions, overweight cops will also undergo psychological intervention to determine if they are mentally prepared to commit to the program.
After which, overweight cops will also undergo medical intervention if they have illnesses like diabetes or hypertension and then dietary intervention wherein they will be given proper food serving sizes.
"We are targeting that we should be at the recommended weight loss based on the average which is required by the Department of Health," Cuyco said.
"The recommended weight loss is 1 pound every week, so that is a maximum of 2 kilos per month. In a first quarter next year, we are expecting that they have already reduced 6 to 9 kilos," he added.