if you have two other conditions – excess blood clotting and inflammation or swelling throughout the body – you may also develop metabolic syndrome.
Why are law enforcement officers and first responders particularly
at risk?
As you know, the daily work of law enforcement officers and first
responders demands great physical and emotional commitment. The
stressful work conditions, such as responding to unpredictable,
intense and possibly life-threatening activities, puts you at increased
risk for some of the factors of metabolic syndrome, such as high blood
pressure.
=
= = =
=
=
Other occupational elements also contribute to your risk:
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
•
Irregular physical exertion – long periods of relative inactivity
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
= obesity;
between emergencies can cause weight gain and
=
=
=
=
=
•
Unhealthy diet/limited availability of healthy food options can
= and
= contribute
=
=
lead to= high= lipid=levels
to insulin
resistance;
=
== = = = noises
= like
= = sirens
= can
= = == to loud,
= =and= alarms
•
Exposure
disruptive
=cause
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
= spikes in
= blood
= pressure; =
=
= =of
= =post-traumatic
= = stress
== disorder
= has
• =Increased
==
= =risk
= = = (PTSD)
=
= = heart
= =and
= cause
=
shown
in blood
= been
== =to increase
= = rate
= = changes
==
= ==
= = = =
= =
==
=pressure.
==
==
What can
= do
= to= reduce
= = = risk= of metabolic
= = = syndrome
= = = =and
= its
= = you
= = causes?
= =
= =
=
=
=
=
The first
= step in
= reducing
=
=your risk of metabolic syndrome is
= = = lifestyle
= = = =that
= = = losing
making= healthy
working
=
= choices
= include
=
==weight,
=
toward a more active
lifestyle,
eating
a
healthy
diet
and
stopping
= = = =
= =
= =
=
smoking. Be sure to talk with your doctor about specific ways of incor=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
= doctor
porating these elements into your daily life. If necessary, your
=
=
can also prescribe medications that may help reduce your risk of the
=
=associated
=
=
= syndrome.
=
=
= =
d
conditions
with metabolic
=
= =
=
==
=
=
=
=
= =HERO, Stay
= =
This message= is= sponsored
in =conjunction
with
Healthy Stay Strong.
A GLIMPSE OF HOPE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 84
terrific and it actually made them feel better.”
In further exploring his visionary crisis leadership, the Chief
added, “In 2015 we received the League of Municipalities Honorable Mention for Police Community Relations based on three initiatives – Safety Kids, led by Highland Park Local 64; Special Needs
Registry, also a Local 64 effort; and a Human Relations
Commission Police Department Community Forum, where we
were able to answer questions from the community members and
=
=
= =
=
=
learn about each other.”= So this
is a model of community and
=
police relations prior to this crisis response, but what a foundation
= officers
= is needed! =
=
to stand on when support for
=
=
=
=
=
=
I loved learning about the Highland Park Police Department and
= = trust its
= officers
=
= have from= their
=
witnessing the love and
community. It’s about trust and communication and caring in the
= trust, procedural
= =
service of others. Beyond building
justice has= the
= safer. The premise is common
potential to make officers’= jobs
sense – interactions based on fairness are likely to evolve into positive outcomes.
=
=Interactions
=
=
= that begin
= = on
= the assumption
= = = of dom=
inance
are
more
likely
to
escalate
and
result
in
=
= =
=
=
= the= injury of an=
officer or= citizen.= =
= =
=
=
=
By
procedural
in their
daily= encoun= utilizing
=
=
=justice and
= service
=
=
= =
ters =with
these law
= citizens,
=
= enforcement
=
=
= officers =have= the ability
not only=to =improve
their
relationships
with
=
= =
= =
= communities,
=
= = but
= also
to keep
fellow
= themselves,
=
= = officers
= = = and community
=
= members
= safer.
So here’s
to a small
=
= = town
= police
= department
= in= Middlesex
= = County
=
and Local 64 for showing us all what is possible. Godspeed to all of
the Highland Park law enforcement officers every day in a community they love and that loves them back.
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■
FEBRUARY 2016
87