Obesity and overweight are commonly known to increase risks for occupational injuries, cardiovascular events, cancers, and high-risk conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Firefighters are already at increased risk for cancers and cardiovascular disease, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity only compound these risks further. Additionally, the physical nature of both law enforcement and firefighting professions naturally brings a risk for injury, which is only compounded by the conditions of overweight and obesity. Basically, public service professionals are at higher risk for injury, cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke, and cancers if they are overweight than someone of a similar size and body composition in a lower risk profession.
