On Thursday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report that outlined physician weight recommendations for United States firefighters. Research has found many obese and overweight firefighters reported having received no weight recommendations from their health provider.
According to the Health Science Center at the University of Texas, health care professionals are not giving weight advice/recommendations to 69% of firefighters and 48% of obese firefighters. This is startling especially since the data revealed 96% of firefighters reported visiting their health care professionals in the past year. What's more startling is the fact that a profession which requires one to be in prime shape is comprised of an overweight/obese workforce.
The UT Health Science Center studied data from a 2011-2012 national sample of male firefighters (Fuel 2 Fight cohort study) that consisted of self-reported health care professional weight recommendations and measured body mass index (BMI). National guidelines require health care professionals to advise their patients to maintain a healthy weight, regardless of their patients' profession. The research also found that cardiovascular events are the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters.
The CDC report that was released on Thursday analyzed data of 1,002 male firefighters. The UT Health researchers found that 82.5% of these firefighters were overweight or obese, which dwarfs the adult national average of 35.7%. Not only are firefighters deprived of weight recommendations, but the researchers say the general population is as well, from anywhere between 40%-50% of obese individuals and 15%-65% of overweight individuals.
The data consisted of completed self-administered general health assessments by the firefighters, who answered questions such as "In the past 12 months, has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional given you advice about your weight?" and also provided information on demographic, occupational status, substance abuse, and medical history. The researchers calculated the firefighters' BMI through the provided height and weight information. It was troubling that the findings revealed health care professionals were less likely to give weight advice to young overweight and obese firefighters. Such information would help them maintain their weight issue before they get older and more complications begin to develop.
"Young adults are at greater risk for weight gain than older adults, and overweight young adults are more likely than healthy weight young adults to experience additional weight gain. A 10-year longitudinal study found that young men aged 25 to 34 had a greater increase in BMI than older (≥35 years) men, and most adults gain weight during the transition from young adulthood to middle age (25)," the study concluded.
This is yet another problem the United States can add to the health care system, but it's also one that many will work to try and mend.
