60 overweight and obese police officers in Bangkok, Thailand took a break from chasing criminals and traffic voilators to ward off ‘fat belly’.
The Thai police department launched a 12-day boot camp in one of their training centers in Bangkok to help their men get back into shape. The program includes a dawn-to-dusk exercise and lectures on healthy living.
The policemen were asked to wear a shirt which has a slogan ‘Get rid of the belly’. They begin their day jogging, followed by a yoga, aerobics, and tai chi. They will call it a day after listening to lectures from nutritionists and trainers.
The government promised to reward the biggest loser with 5,000 baht ($160) to keep them motivated.
“The school children call me ‘Uncle Fat’ all the time, but I don’t mind. I’m more concerned about my health, because I have diabetes,” said Sgt. Maj. Wanchat Phonorthong, a 49-year-old traffic officer who weighs 293 pounds and is six feet tall.
They reminded them though that this program was set up to improve their health after a report last year that the top health concern of the Thai police is obesity. Other health concerns reported after the annual physical examination of 200,000 policemen were high cholesterol, high blood pressure, liver problems, and diabetes. The police department believes that these issues will be addressed if they promote healthy living to their men which made them launch this program.
“Police officers tend to have higher health risks than some other professions because they don’t eat and sleep on a normal schedule. Eating at the end of late-night shifts, drinking and smoking all contribute to their obesity,” said Col. Pornpen Bunnag, who designed the course and heads the Family Medicine Department at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital as stated in The Washington Post.
