Police weight-loss competition in the United States with gender, age, and job comparisons with health promotion recommendations

Abstract

The purpose was to report body mass changes during a police weight-loss competition over a 12-week period with future implementation suggestions for health promotion practitioners. This second year competition was composed of 409 nonsworn employees and sworn officers in teams of three to four participants weighing-in every 2 weeks. Teams that met the weight-loss goal of 5% from starting mass qualified for awards. Data were analyzed with respect to differences between genders, repeat participants versus first-timers, nonsworn employees versus sworn officers, and age. A significant (p < 0.001) change in mean mass from 99.1 to 96.1 kg resulted in a loss of 3.1 kg, with a mean percent mass loss of 3%. Greatest mean mass change occurred over the first 4 weeks with significant (p < 0.001) differences between each weigh-in. Sworn officers had significantly (p < 0.001) greater percent mass loss, 4%, than nonsworn employees, 2%. Those ≥ 40 years experienced a significantly (p < 0.01) greater percent mass loss, 4%, versus the 3% loss experienced by those < 40 years old. Of all participants, 23% met the goal of 5% mass lost. Attendance was 100% for the first 6 weeks, with 1% absenteeism by week 8. Absenteeism increased at weeks 10 and 12, to 7% and 11%, respectively. The escalation in weeks 10 and 12 was substantially impacted by the absenteeism of nonsworn employees, 19% and 30%, respectively. Suggestions to improve efficacy include addressing apparent motivational differences between sworn and nonsworn participants and adding incentives to reduce end-of-program absenteeism.