New local study by Fairview Hospital helps hundreds of firefighters get healthy

AVON, Ohio - If anyone knows how hard it is to get and keep a healthy lifestyle, it's a doctor. That's why doctors and researchers at Fairview Hospital teamed up to help local firefighters, EMS and paramedics get on the healthy track.

Approximately 100 firefighters die each year while on duty because they are more concerned with saving other people, and putting their own health on the line. Not anymore.

The research team at Fairview Hospital, led by Dr. Anjli Maroo, did over 400 screening tests for numerous local fire departments. The results weren't good. The top three health risks many of them faced: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

Avon Fire Chief Frank Root was diagnosed with serious health risks when he went for his screening.

"I was over 325 pounds, which I think back and I was very disappointed in myself that I let myself get that way. My results showed that I was pre-diabetic, I had hypertension and was at serious risk for congestive heart failure," explained Root.

Root's fellow firefighters said his smoking and use of chewing tobacco was never really a thought, until the screening. They both got news that if they didn't quit, they would shorten their young lives by several years. Both were already at risk for serious health problems and one man was only in his early 30s.

That's when the whole department joined forces to fight fat, and any other health condition one of them was facing.

To date, Chief Root has lost 65 pounds and his cholesterol is now under control. Both of his firefighters that used tobacco quit and dropped weight. Everyone is working out, eating new and healthy foods, and they're using team work to help each other fight to save their own lives, the same way they save people in the community.

In the eyes of Dr. Maroo, this is welcome news. "There were so many people who actually had undiagnosed health problems that we found for the first time and let them know something needs to be done about this."