Obesity Winning Out Against Firefighters, Paramedics

[daedalus]

Bingo. I like my fulltime job. I make decent money, I have gained a HUGE amount of experience seeing only ALS calls, but it has taxed me mentally and physically.
I am assigned to nights, and sleeping is forbidden. Trying to sleep during the day is next to impossible. There are no kitchens, or appliences to use to cook a healthy meal, so it is whatever is open (usually fast food, or something you can pack, and quickly reheat, and usually not so healthy).

I have raised my systolic by 20mmHg, my resting HR by 10-15BPM, and increased my BMI. My cardio shape has fallen to pieces, and I am suffering from seasonal affective disorder from the lack of sunlight.

At my parttime gig as a FF/EMT, we all sit down together to eat meals, try to eat healthy, and sleeping is generally from 2100-0700, with naps allowed for those who get their butts handed to them at a previous job, or the tour before.
Although working out on duty is not allowed, that could change.

Wow that sucks. On our night cars, we are allowed to sleep, and have access to a kitchen at our station. However, exercising is forbidden at my work because management thinks that if we hurt ourselves it would be a liability. What about the liability of heart disease, DM, and obesity I ask.

 

[Sasha]

Wow that sucks. On our night cars, we are allowed to sleep, and have access to a kitchen at our station. However, exercising is forbidden at my work because management thinks that if we hurt ourselves it would be a liability. What about the liability of heart disease, DM, and obesity I ask.

You can't hold your employer liable for your obesity. You can hold McDonalds liable, apparently, but not your employer, unless the strictly forbode eating healthy foods and exercising.

Funnily enough, all patients coming into the ERs at Florida Hospital not recieve a pamphlet on heart disease and the importance of being well. This is a new thing they just implemented and all patients must sign that they recieved one. I think educating patients is a great step in the right direction to reduce obesity. Many people are ignorant about how to be healthy.