Dietician Rana Parker lays down the law for Los Angeles police recruits, veterans and top brass, letting them know that eating right can help them do a better job and could even save their lives, reports the Associated Press. The police department believes it’s the first to hire a full-time diet coach. Faced with a need for more officers, Los Angeles police briefly relaxed body fat limits from a maximum of 22 percent for men and 30 percent for women, drawing recruits who mirrored a plumper public.
Parker tries to instill good eating habits before the rigors of the field make it difficult to find time for balanced meals. She has provided one-on-one counseling to about 90 recruits, taught a nutrition course to about 500 others, and made presentations to more than 400 officers. Doughnuts may be the punch line for many cop jokes, but they’re not the problem, Parker said. Long hours and the on-the-go nature of police work make it hard to find time to eat well and stay in shape, she said.
Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-diet-copsmay07,0,7372537.story