I was asked this question by a guy in class..He is going Fire and im going Medic..He asked me this question and it kind of caught me off guard..I asked hem why are most Fire Marshall's Over Weight..It was a pretty heated conversatin today in class to say the least..
Why are most Paramedics Over Weight??
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Aidey
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Well, at this point in time most Americans are overweight, so I think it would be hard to look at one specific profession and ask why the people of that profession are larger. Almost any profession you look at is going to have a large number of overweight people in it. Granted, there are exceptions in the more active professions, but that is the exception not the rule.
That being said. For paramedics and EMTs who work in for a private company, they often spend all their time between calls sitting in the ambulance, many eat fast food or grab unhealthy snacks because they don't have time to eat a real meal. When it gets busy someone won't eat for hours, and then ends up over eating when they finally get a chance because they are so hungry. Also, the job has a higher stress level than most, which can affect things like cortisol which affect weight (not directly, it's a long explanation).
That being said. For paramedics and EMTs who work in for a private company, they often spend all their time between calls sitting in the ambulance, many eat fast food or grab unhealthy snacks because they don't have time to eat a real meal. When it gets busy someone won't eat for hours, and then ends up over eating when they finally get a chance because they are so hungry. Also, the job has a higher stress level than most, which can affect things like cortisol which affect weight (not directly, it's a long explanation).
WolfmanHarris
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I've looked around my service and have noticed for the most part of the 400 some off medics, the majority seem to be a healthy weight. This is by no means a full survey, just an observation. I am unfortunately not counted among those.
It all comes down to diet. I eat healthier at work. At work I have to plan my meals ahead of time and pack them and when it's all laid out in front of you, you make way better choices. When I'm at home on days off I snack more. Since I started work, with no changes other than having to plan my meals around 12 hour shifts and a 1.5hr one way commute, I have lost about 10 pounds in the last few months. Sure, not commercial before/after worthy, but a healthier, more realistic rate of loss.
Exercise at work is harder and with variable schedules it can be hard to keep on a gym schedule. I'm still trying to figure this out for myself. Currently my debate is between a membership at a 24-hour gym, or buying the basic stuff I need to work out at home. I know which one is cheaper, it's more a matter of which I think I'll stick to.
It all comes down to diet. I eat healthier at work. At work I have to plan my meals ahead of time and pack them and when it's all laid out in front of you, you make way better choices. When I'm at home on days off I snack more. Since I started work, with no changes other than having to plan my meals around 12 hour shifts and a 1.5hr one way commute, I have lost about 10 pounds in the last few months. Sure, not commercial before/after worthy, but a healthier, more realistic rate of loss.
Exercise at work is harder and with variable schedules it can be hard to keep on a gym schedule. I'm still trying to figure this out for myself. Currently my debate is between a membership at a 24-hour gym, or buying the basic stuff I need to work out at home. I know which one is cheaper, it's more a matter of which I think I'll stick to.
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Nearly 70% of Americans are overweight. Working in private EMS, I sit in my rig for nearly 12 hours, and have access to fast food and gas stations. If I'm unwilling to pack a lunch, that severely limits my choices. It would be one thing if I could work off all of those calories, but I find the job to be 75% sitting, 25% moving. At the end of the shift few have the energy to exercise or work out.
dewd09
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That's kind of odd generalization or stereotype. Wouldn't it be more pertinent to ask why doctors smoke; or why people eat greasy food?
I have to agree with poor diet and exercise to a point but some do have medical problems. I have recently quit smoking I do exercise and try to eat healthy but I have put on some weight. And I also agree with the fast food adding the pounds but it easier some times to just run in and get out. Even when we arent on duty some times we do not have the proper time to exercise due to family obligations especially if you have kids they have to go here and go there do this and do that. So there are many reasons as to why people are overweight. Maybe next time you might want to choose a less heated question to ask someone.
MJordan2121
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I am in Paramedic school and our medical director has implemented a workout plan into our school schedule. We have class M,W, F from 8-4p, do labs from 1-3p and on M,W we work out from 3p-4p in our school gym. I personally think it is a great idea and we are all getting in really good shape.
Sasha
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While I agree that it is a good idea to stay in shape, I don't feel that is appropriate to make mandatory gym time. Personal fitness is a personal choice, if they can not perform the duties required, then give them appropriate warning and then fire them or kick them out if they don't reach a point where they can adequately perform duties in a reasonable amount of time.
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That would be pretty cool as long as it was implemented properly. It would be cool to have an hour set aside to work out with classmates and motivate each other, but not if there were required exercises.
Becoming a paramedic and attending class is a personal choice too. Where you go to school is as well.
This is something that they are doing for 2 hours a week while in class only; it's not very much, and while it'll definitely help given the condition of the average person, it's not a huge investment. What will be good and pay off in the future is if it sticks with them and they continue to work out and exercise regularly throughout their career...which if they do that will be longer than if they don't. The correlation between physical fitness (or lack of) and on the job injuries is pretty clear.
Think of it this way; personal/scene safety is something that every class learns about to one degree or another, and I don't think anyone will say that's bad. Why not have to learn about personal fitness? It'll help with their careers just as good safety awareness will.
Sasha
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There is a difference between learning about physical fitness and being forced to work out. I don't think it's a school's job to make their students work out. Granted, two hours at a gym is not very much and you are not likely to see results with a two hour a week gym regimen. However, fitness is a choice. If one is not fit enough to perform the job, then don't hire them or fire them but give them the choice of getting in shape to keep their job or continue their lazyness and seek employment or studentship elsewhere.
Remember, they're still in school learning HOW to be a paramedic, not looking for a job.
Why force someone to learn about scene safety? If they choose to ignore it then they are the one that get's hurt. All they are getting is a brief intro into exercise; whether or not they continue to do it after school is done is their choice; just as whether or not they maintain a good safety awareness is their choice.
Paramedic school is supposed to be about learning how to be a paramedic, the medical, mental and physical aspects of it. This is just something else for them to learn; what they do with the knowledge is up to them.
Edit: nobody said anything about meeting any kind of standard either, just that they had to go to the sessions. So...it's something that could be beneficial, or something they might never do again...why so against exposing them to it and explaining why it's a good thing?
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MCGLYNN_EMTP
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Paramedics really are overweight...all we do is sit sleep and eat fast food...We are useless...
OK..maybe not all of us...but I know at least a good 50% of my service is overwieght.
OK..maybe not all of us...but I know at least a good 50% of my service is overwieght.
paramedichopeful
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Just a joke here, but Medics sit around the station passing pictures of DOA patients and swapping glory stories while the Basics and Intermediates take responsibility of pt. care and equipment care. At least that's how it is where I'm from. We have Intermediates that do the pt. care while the basics drive. 90% of the time the Medics sit in the director's office kissing *** and eating ramen noodles. Makes sense- physical output > caloric intake = not being a fat slob.
(btw I'm 6'3" and about 160 lbs so I would know about that equation)
(btw I'm 6'3" and about 160 lbs so I would know about that equation)
Maybe it's just me, but I was fairly militant regarding exercise way before I ever joined the fire service. I used to bring a pair of 50's on the bus to knock out thrusters, C&J's and snatches (an olympic movement performed with a DB in this case) in between jobs, "greasing the groove" style. I'd also do bus stop pullups and stuff, although I wasn't as diesel as these guys - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCxH88-9X8
I've noticed that a physically weak partner will get the fit one hurt, as they try to compensate for the other's weakness. Ever carry someone down a flight of stairs while your weak partner holds the handles at the bottom of the chair with fully extended arms, too weak and/or lazy to choke up and keep me from having to lean over excessively? How about someone too weak to get the cot up to the top for loading? Why am I always stuck loading the heavy hitters? If you need to rest at every landing while removing a pt on a stair chair, you're useless to me. If you can't roll a pt onto a sheet/blanket and carry them with me down at least one flight of stairs through a narrow hallway to the cot (for those times when the pt doesn't have the time that it takes to do a reeves), you're useless to me. If you can't help me get an unconscious flaccid pt out of the bathtub, you're useless to me. If you gas on compressions after one minute, you're useless to me. If you wake me up in the back of the rig to go to Wendy's at 0130 because you're too irresponsible to pack food for the shift, and absolutely "need" to eat, I'm flinging a box of gloves or something at your head.
Maybe it's just me, but if I were to see the ramifications of an unhealthy lifestyle on a daily basis, for example obese type II diabetics w/ HTN, CHF, amp. limbs etc. COPD'ers, post MI pts, so on and so forth I think that I'd pay a little more attention to my own health.
You don't need to be fit like a Navy Seal, and you can be 400#, as long as you can hang and do the job I won't judge.
I've noticed that a physically weak partner will get the fit one hurt, as they try to compensate for the other's weakness. Ever carry someone down a flight of stairs while your weak partner holds the handles at the bottom of the chair with fully extended arms, too weak and/or lazy to choke up and keep me from having to lean over excessively? How about someone too weak to get the cot up to the top for loading? Why am I always stuck loading the heavy hitters? If you need to rest at every landing while removing a pt on a stair chair, you're useless to me. If you can't roll a pt onto a sheet/blanket and carry them with me down at least one flight of stairs through a narrow hallway to the cot (for those times when the pt doesn't have the time that it takes to do a reeves), you're useless to me. If you can't help me get an unconscious flaccid pt out of the bathtub, you're useless to me. If you gas on compressions after one minute, you're useless to me. If you wake me up in the back of the rig to go to Wendy's at 0130 because you're too irresponsible to pack food for the shift, and absolutely "need" to eat, I'm flinging a box of gloves or something at your head.
Maybe it's just me, but if I were to see the ramifications of an unhealthy lifestyle on a daily basis, for example obese type II diabetics w/ HTN, CHF, amp. limbs etc. COPD'ers, post MI pts, so on and so forth I think that I'd pay a little more attention to my own health.
You don't need to be fit like a Navy Seal, and you can be 400#, as long as you can hang and do the job I won't judge.
At one place, we only have a few overweight members. Nobody's obese. We all go to the gym together when things are slow, and most everyone's idea of fun involves something seriously physical. I'm actually one of the least fit of that crowd, although I'm pretty well in shape. I don't run marathons, triathlons, or anything else like that.
At another two, I'm one of the most fit EMS-only people. It's actually kinda scary. Most of my partners can lift and carry, but not as well or as long as I'd like.
Agreed. There are a few partners I run with that can't really lift, but they have pretty good reasons. They do what they can, I do what I can, and we call for help when someone's just too heavy or too far.
There are a few others I run with that can't lift because they never stop eating and never work out. Oddly enough, they're the ones that expect me to be able to move every 300lb patient alone, and who get upset when I ask to call lift assist. Then they wonder why the fire crew is happy to see me and not so happy to see them. Or why my other partners who can't lift get a reasonably cheerful fire crew when they call for lift assist at 3am.
At another two, I'm one of the most fit EMS-only people. It's actually kinda scary. Most of my partners can lift and carry, but not as well or as long as I'd like.
Agreed. There are a few partners I run with that can't really lift, but they have pretty good reasons. They do what they can, I do what I can, and we call for help when someone's just too heavy or too far.
There are a few others I run with that can't lift because they never stop eating and never work out. Oddly enough, they're the ones that expect me to be able to move every 300lb patient alone, and who get upset when I ask to call lift assist. Then they wonder why the fire crew is happy to see me and not so happy to see them. Or why my other partners who can't lift get a reasonably cheerful fire crew when they call for lift assist at 3am.
The guy..
That asked the question is a young dude with a smart mouth..But he realized what he said when he started this conversation..For the most part the EMS runs everything, first on calls and the Fire Fighters dont do much other than put the fire out.. Unless there in a city that requires the Fire Fighter's to be Paramedic certified.. I have nothing but respect for any EMT due to the stuff that is required by them to see and do..
That asked the question is a young dude with a smart mouth..But he realized what he said when he started this conversation..For the most part the EMS runs everything, first on calls and the Fire Fighters dont do much other than put the fire out.. Unless there in a city that requires the Fire Fighter's to be Paramedic certified.. I have nothing but respect for any EMT due to the stuff that is required by them to see and do..
DT4EMS
Kip Teitsort, Founder
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I think this is a great idea! IMO since most police academies require physcial fitness during the academy.......... why can't EMT/Medic school require the same?
When we teach "Physical Fitness in EMS" as part of our regular classes....... we stress the importance of how regular exercise can help ALL EMS providers in the following areas......
Stress Reduction- Because of course........ no one in EMS has stress
Overall Strength- Because back/shoulder injuries NEVER occur in the field....
Increased survival chances when faced with deadly force encounters
Increased Cardio health!
Increased self-esteem..... helps reduce the "Yeah, we hire them by the pound" when people talk about co-workers.
One of my main reasons for staying in shape is.......... I want to be able to play in the yard with my grandkids........ when I have them