While overweight officers aren't unique to Los Angeles, the police department believes it's the first to hire a full-time diet coach. Parker joined in July, leaving behind decidedly less macho clients at Head Start, the federal aid program for children.
Faced with a need for more officers in recent years, the LAPD briefly relaxed body fat limits from a maximum of 22 percent for men and 30 percent for women, drawing recruits who mirrored a plumper American public.
