Cops take on the battle of the bulge

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The stereotype of cops hanging out at donut shops may not be true (we see them more often at Starbucks these days chugging chai lattes), but some law-enforcement officers, like the rest of the planet, are fighting the battle of the bulge.

Because a leaner, fitter cop is probably a more effective crime fighter than a chubby, out-of-shape cop, some thought it a good idea to give peace officers a little boost in their efforts to lose weight. For the second year in a row, the Battle of the Badges has been waged, a friendly competition among law enforcement officers from the Santa Ana Police Department, the Anaheim Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to see which group could lose the most weight. Ten participants from each department agreed to try to lose at least 10% of their body weight in 10 weeks, but we’ve heard that everyone exceeded that goal. Some teens, many of them related to the officers, also took part.

The winning team will be revealed Wednesday at a ceremony and final weigh-in at the Santa Ana Police Dept., but some results released show terrific progress: an average 11% reduction in blood sugar, a 48% decrease in triglyceride levels, a 27% reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol and a 9% reduction in waist circumference. Blood pressure came down too, putting everyone in a normal range. Some who had been on blood pressure and cholesterol medication have been able to go off the meds.

The competition was so popular the first time around at the O.C. Sheriff’s Dept. that program coordinator Donna Muleady said she got almost 50 applications within an hour of her posting. Obesity isn’t an overwhelming problem in the department, she added, but some deputies could benefit from dropping a few pounds and getting into shape.

‘This isn’t just about losing weight,’ said Cynthia Graff, chief executive of Lindora Medical Clinics, the event sponsor. ‘It’s about learning healthy lifestyle habits.’ The program seems to have many factors that can result in successful weight loss: a medical work-up, healthful eating strategies, counseling, nutrition guidelines, encouragement to exercise and accountability via weekly weigh-ins.

Winners don’t receive any grand prize, buy participants do get a $50 gift card to El Pollo Loco, where the menu features a meal with a grilled chicken breast, salad and steamed vegetables that comes in at 276 calories and 8 grams of fat.

And what if an officer uses that certificate to buy something more fattening?

‘The public is watching,’ Graff said.

-- Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times