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First responders' corner: "Caution! Wide Load."

Emergency Management Alert, March 27, 2007

First responders are notorious for catching dinner on the fly. The next time you pull the bus up to the drive-thru, think of this: Your eating habits affect your job performance. If you don't eat right, you could compromise patient safety. (Plus, if you eat enough of those chalupas, you're bucking for a confined spaces violation.)

People who don't eat enough, or who eat too much of the wrong types of foods, can suffer from memory and concentration problems and have difficulty making decisions, according to Pam Smith, PhD, a registered dietitian, director of nutrition programs, and an assistant professor at Keene (NH) State College. Smith recently commented on the value of training staff about good nutrition for an article that appeared in Briefings on Patient Safety, a sister publication of EMA.

Hunger, for example, can result in shaky hands, loss of peripheral vision, irritability, depression, and disruptive behavior. 
   
Other experts recommend becoming more aware of hunger triggers. After a call, you may be stress-eating without being aware of how much you're consuming. Or what you're consuming!

(In related celebrity news, there are some who think a sugar imbalance may have contributed to Britney Spears' shearing her hair.  See www.sugarshock.com.)

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