Los Angeles tightens body fat standards for police after complaints of pudgy recruits

The Police Department is returning to leaner standards after complaints that it was stuffing its ranks with pudgy recruits.

The city's Personnel Department is reinstating rules that LAPD male recruits carry no more than 22 percent body fat and women no more than 30 percent.

Two years ago, the Personnel Department raised the standards to 24 and 32 percent, respectively, at a time when the city was trying to add 1,000 officers to the force.

On Friday, the Personnel Department's medical administrator resigned after six nurses who screen recruits signed a letter of protest. The nurses said the more lenient body fat standards didn't take into account the risk of more trainee injuries and lawsuits.

The city police academy requested the change back to the tougher standards, according to the Personnel Department.