Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. It comes from the Introit of the Mass: “Gaudete in Domino semper, iterum dico, Gaudete,” which means “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.”

As we prepare ourselves and anticipate the coming true Joy of Christmas, let us ask ourselves why we celebrate the joyful and festive season in the first place.

As we are in the season of Advent, we are in the period of preparation for the coming of Christ into our hearts and our lives. It might be interesting to note that aside from our external preparations for Christmas, let us not forget the spiritual and physical aspects of our preparations.

Data showed that some 7,400 policemen, or about 34 percent of the total force strength of 23,000 police officers assigned in Metro Manila, are considered overweight and obese.

After evaluation by Philippine National Police (PNP) medical officers, those overweight police officers will undergo psychological intervention to determine if they are mentally prepared to commit themselves to the program.

The overweight police officers will also undergo a medical exam to check for illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, after which they will be given a dietary program to help them achieve their ideal weight based on their height and age.

 The Department of Health recommends weight loss for government employees at least one pound per week or a maximum of two kilos per month. Hopefully, the overweight police officers could meet the administration’s expectation of losing six to nine kilos by the first quarter of next year.

Better start that in January 2024 after all the holiday parties and celebrations.

 A person’s BMI (body mass index) is their weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. Class 1 “low risk” obese people are those whose BMI is 30.0 to 34.9; class 2 “moderate risk” whose BMI is 35.0 to 39.9; and class 3 “high risk” whose BMI is 40.0 or higher.

 Cops participating in the weight loss program must report at least twice a month for two months to monitor their progress. There was a suggestion that the cops’ diet be controlled and monitored, and they would be required to conduct physical exercises throughout the day.

Shouldering the cops’ diet would be inexpensive since it would consist of vegetables and fish. I think it’s nice that the goal of all this is not so much to achieve a certain weight but to cut a leaner figure.

The PNP has long been criticized for the overweight cops in its ranks. There was an earlier directive that cops who do not meet the proper weight requirement will be barred from promotion. That would be fine as it would help keep them from over-eating.