After more than 200 state troopers were told they had to cut their waists, an oversight board scrapped the negative consequences of waistline testing.
TEXAS, USA — Texas state troopers may loosen their belts just a bit after new fitness standards were approved last week.
A supervisory board has approved changes to the standards of Texas Department of Public Safety soldiers after a controversial policy targeting more than 200 of them in April.
Soldiers have been told that men with a waist circumference greater than 40 inches and women with a waist circumference greater than 35 inches should follow and share their weight loss efforts.
According to the new policy first reported by the Dallas Morning News, these measurements have increased to 41 and 36 inches respectively. The stretching consequences of these measurements are also gone, but waist circumference requirements are necessary.
RELATED: Texas State Troopers Must Meet New Waistline Requirements or Face Consequences
“DPS is obviously a top law enforcement organization and will continue to be,” Commissioner Dale Wainwright told the Dallas Morning News. “For that to happen, we need to have commissioned officers who can do their jobs physically and mentally at an excellent level.”
The soldiers recently took their physical fitness tests in the spring and nearly all of the soldiers passed, but fewer soldiers met the waistline requirement.
Soldiers who don’t respect their waistline should always enroll in a “fitness improvement plan” where exercise goals and nutrition logs proving they take their fitness seriously are always required.
After 224 state troopers were told they needed to lose weight last year, that number dropped to 175 in spring testing.
