Officers can still be 'fat but fit' with 38-inch waist

Portly police officers in Pakistan recently were told to shed the extra pounds or face losing their patrolling jobs. They had one month to get their waistlines below 38 inches.

I wonder how many cops in the United States would meet that requirement. Contrary to popular culture, they don't all look like the pudgy, doughtnut-chomping Chief Wiggum from “The Simpsons.”

Just because a guy has a 38-inch waist doesn't mean he's not in shape or athletic. Many are what we call “fat but fit.” And they're not actually fat; they're just stocky, husky or thick (At least those are the words I use to describe myself to make me feel better about my extra poundage).

Most doctors would probably disagree that anyone with a 38-inch waist can be fit, especially if they're going by those ridiculously unrealistic body mass index standards.

I beg to differ and have many “fat but fit” friends to prove them wrong — and they even eat an occasional doughnut.