The number of police officers who have complied with the policy on maintaining a normal body mass index (BMI) has increased by 11 percent.
Data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) released on Wednesday showed 108,876 police officers have achieved a normal BMI as of February 2020, compared to 98,093 in November 2019.
Since the start of his tenure, PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa has been vocal on his physical fitness policy for police officers.
At the end of the first quarter of this year, non-compliant police personnel may face sanctions such as neglect of duty and they would be subject to investigation and intervention.
Police officers who fail to adhere to their normal BMI and identified as obese would be denied mandatory schooling. This, in turn, will hamper their chance for promotion.
The BMI requirement is part of the physical fitness program of the PNP in an effort to professionalize the organization.
BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. It is obtained by dividing a person’s weight expressed in kilograms by his or her height in meters.
For most adults, an ideal BMI is ranging from 18.5 to 24.9. A range of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight while those having 30 and above are considered obese. (PNA)
