By IANS/EFE,
Mexico City : Some 2,000 obese Mexico City police officers are attending weekly psychological counseling sessions and following strict diets that limit daily food intake to 2,400 calories in an effort to lose weight and improve their physical conditioning.
The officers are participating in the programme on a voluntary basis, Federal District Public Safety Secretariat officials said Monday.
The 2,000 officers, members of the capital’s 33,000-strong police force, receive individual medical attention and have access to psychological counseling because “each one has to be treated in accordance with his own problems”, Federal District Public Safety Secretariat medical services director Alfredo Peniche told EFE.
The officers are also being treated for other diseases related to obesity, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems and liver disease, Peniche said.
“There are other risk factors that, in fact, kill people, and that is why we explain the serious consequences to the officers. I believe this is sufficient motivation for them to take care of themselves, focus on their diets and exercise,” he added.