CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO. – Authorities in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, announced that 40% of the policemen in the city suffered from obesity and at least 80% were overweight. For this reason, all of the officers were put on a diet.
Both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Safety of Ciudad Juarez have begun a program to reduce the obesity and overweight problem that affect these police officers.
This program will be applied to everyone, from the director to the cadets who are still in the academy.
Municipal police spokesman, Adrian Sanchez, told Efe that the program consists of three stages: medical examination, obtaining results and advice about diet and physical activity.
"After completing the exams and depending on the results, officers will be given an exercise routine and diet to be followed," he explained.
The head of the Health Services of the Municipality of Ciudad Juarez, Dr. Ariel Diaz de Leon, said that 6 out of the 1,800 active agents suffered from morbid obesity which can be deadly.
Although these measures are required, the agent with the most progress in reducing weight will receive a prize of 15,000 pesos (about $ 1,200 USD).
The Municipal Public Safety director, Lt. Col. Julian Leyzaola Perez, said that for the agent who succeeds in establishing his weight closer to the "ideal" weight from now until the last day of March, will win the cash.
"We noted that officials in districts and administrative positions needed to lose some weight, but to submit the personal to a diet or constant exercise, we chose a way to encourage them and set an example for all the officers to get in shape," said Leyzaola.
According to the National Survey of Health and Nutrition 2012, in Mexico being overweight and obesity affects 7 out of 10 adults, while 34% of children 5 to 11 years suffer from the same problem.
The same survey says that the combination of overweight and obesity is mostly concentrated in the north part of the country. A number that is 12% of the national total.
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