Michaelann Andrusiak's thesis
– Executive Summary –
Law enforcement officers face a stark reality: their average life expectancy is just 66 years, with many living fewer than eight years beyond retirement.[1] This sobering statistic highlights the immense physical and mental toll of the profession. In a job where projecting authority and composure can mean the difference between life and death, an officer’s physical presence, demeanor, and visible authority are critical in de-escalating volatile situations.[2] Public perception often hinges on how officers present themselves in uniform, influencing compliance and potentially averting conflict.[3] Yet, as vital as physical fitness and outward appearance are, they pale in comparison to the importance of internal health and mental resilience. The ability to make split-second decisions while maintaining composure under extreme pressure demands not only peak physical conditioning but also optimal mental well-being.[4]
This thesis investigates the profound impact of diet on the mental and physical well-being of law enforcement officers, highlighting how the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry can address the unique challenges faced by this critical profession. By analyzing the modern American diet, the occupational demands of law enforcement, and the principles of nutritional psychiatry, this research offers a pathway to improving officer health, resilience, and performance through dietary interventions.
Chronic disease is a pervasive issue in the United States, driven in large part by the standard American diet, high in processed and ultra-processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats.[5] This current dietary system contributes to cognitive fog, emotional dysregulation and chronic fatigue.[6] Poor nutrition exacerbates stress, impairs judgment and slows physical recovery, and has been linked to a surge in adverse health outcomes, including obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers, making it a crisis that requires urgent attention.[7] Law enforcement officers are at increased risk, not only facing the same threats of chronic disease as the general population, but also suffering from a host of other conditions specific to their occupation, such as shortened lifespans, vicarious traumatization, and alarming rates of suicide.[8] Research substantiates that an unhealthy diet and poor nutrition exacerbate mental health disorders resulting in impaired cognitive function, reduced decision-making abilities, and an increase in mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.[9]
The science behind what we eat and how we feel; specifically, our state of mental health, is gaining recognition. The field of nutritional psychiatry offers a novel approach to enhancing mental resilience, increased cognitive function and stress management in law enforcement professionals. Integrating its principles into law enforcement wellness programs presents an opportunity to not only improve physical and mental health outcomes but also enhance officers’ ability to perform their duties more effectively. Nutritional psychiatry, which emphasizes diets rich in whole foods—such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats—has a transformative effect on critical functional capacities.[10] Nutrient-rich diets promote faster reaction times, sharper cognitive function and bolster emotional stability: all essential for law enforcement professionals. Proper nutrition, through the principles of nutritional psychiatry, promotes a reduction in systemic inflammation, promotes neurotransmitter balance, and stabilizes blood sugar levels, thereby fostering emotional resilience and a reduction in mental health related conditions.[11] Nutrition plays a role in sustaining energy levels for physical endurance and strength, critical attributes for managing the high physical demands of law enforcement work. A well-fueled body can withstand stress more effectively, recover faster, and maintain composure in high-stakes situations. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and key micronutrients supports improved decision-making, sharper focus, and better stress management, enabling officers to perform at peak levels even under extreme pressure.[12] By addressing the deficiencies inherent in poor dietary choices, the principles of nutritional psychiatry offer a comprehensive pathway to enhance both physical readiness and mental resilience, ensuring officers can meet the demands of their role with strength and stability. Moreover, implementing dietary intervention strategies may lead to lower rates of officer suicides, improve performance during critical incidents and overall improvement in well-being.
The standard American diet is broken, and all people, especially law enforcement in their homeland security mission, are deeply entangled in this crisis. Prioritizing a culture of health must be a driving force within law enforcement agencies, communities, and the country as a whole. Long term studies focused on law enforcement nutritional intake are vital in assessing the potential impact of dietary interventions on mental health outcomes for this specific population. The well-being of law enforcement officers is not only essential to their personal health but also for the security of the nation. Nutritional psychiatry offers a promising path forward.
[1] John M. Violanti et al., “Life Expectancy in Police Officers: A Comparison with the U.S. General Population,” International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience 15, no. 4 (2013): 217–28.
[2] Rylan Simpson, “Officer Appearance and Perceptions of Police: Accoutrements as Signals of Intent,” Policing: A Journal of Policy & Practice 14, no. 1 (January 2020): 243–57, https://doi.org/10.1093/police/pay015.
[3] Tristan K. Martin and Richard H. Martin, “Psychological and Physical Problems of Being Overweight or Obese in Law Enforcement and the Impact on the Job Performance and Personal Lives: Control, Perception, and Assistance,” EC Psychology and Psychiatry 8, no. 3 (2019): 158–64; Matthew Wagner et al., “Police Chief Perceptions of Officer Physical Fitness and Barriers to Better Fitness,” International Journal of Police Science 2, no. 1 (2023): 1–24, https://doi.org/10.56331/487529/IJPS4.
[4] James D. Calder, “Between Brain and State: Herbert C. Hoover, George W. Wickersham, and the Commission That Grounded Social Scientific Investigations of American Crime and Justice, 1929–1931 and Beyond,” Marquette Law Review 96, no. 4 (2013): 1035–1108, https://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/mulr/vol96/iss4/6; Deborah Spence, Improving Law Enforcement Resilience: Lessons and Recommendations (Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2017).
[5] David E. Bloom et al., The Global Economic Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases (Geneva, Switzerland: World Economic Forum, 2011); Hugh Waters and Marlon Graf, The Cost of Chronic Diseases in the U.S. (Washington, DC: Milken Institute, 2018); U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, 9th ed. (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020); Hellas Cena and Philip C. Calder, “Defining a Healthy Diet: Evidence for the Role of Contemporary Dietary Patterns in Health and Disease,” Nutrients 12, no. 2 (2020): 1–15, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020334; and Magdalena M. Wilson, Jill Reedy, and Susan M. Krebs-Smith, “American Diet Quality: Where It Is, Where It Is Heading, and What It Could Be,” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 116, no. 2 (February 2016): 302-310.e1, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.09.020.
[6] Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez et al., “Global Impacts of Western Diet and Its Effects on Metabolism and Health: A Narrative Review,” Nutrients 15, no. 12 (2023): 1–43, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122749.
[7] Joyce H. Lee et al., “United States Dietary Trends Since 1800: Lack of Association between Saturated Fatty Acid Consumption and Non-Communicable Diseases,” Frontiers in Nutrition 8 (2022): 748–847, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.748847; U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025; Samir Faruque et al., “The Dose Makes the Poison: Sugar and Obesity in the United States – a Review,” Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences 69, no. 3 (2019): 219–33, https://doi.org/10.31883/pjfns/110735; and Daniel W. O’Connor, “The Impact of Obesity on National and Homeland Security” (master’s thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, 2013), https://hdl.handle.net/10945/37687.
[8] Violanti et al., “Life Expectancy in Police Officers”; I. Lisa McCann and Laurie Anne Pearlman, “Vicarious Traumatization: A Framework for Understanding the Psychological Effects of Working with Victims,” Journal of Traumatic Stress 3, no. 1 (1990): 131–49, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00975140; and Stephanie Schweitzer Dixon, “Law Enforcement Suicide: The Depth of the Problem and Best Practices for Suicide Prevention Strategies,” Aggression and Violent Behavior 61 (November 2021): 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2021.101649.
[9] and Han Chen et al., “The Associations of Dietary Patterns with Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms: A Prospective Study,” BMC Medicine 21, no. 1 (2023): 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-023-03019-x; Mateusz Grajek et al., “Nutrition and Mental Health: A Review of Current Knowledge about the Impact of Diet on Mental Health,” Frontiers in Nutrition 9 (2022): 1–14, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.943998; Michael J. Gibney, “Ultra-Processed Foods: Definitions and Policy Issues,” Current Developments in Nutrition 3, no. 2 (2019): 1–7, https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzy077; and Joseph Firth et al., “Food and Mood: How Do Diet and Nutrition Affect Mental Wellbeing?,” BMJ 369 (2020): 1–4, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2440.
[10] Uma Naidoo, “6 Pillars of Nutritional Psychiatry,” Mood Food (blog), May 18, 2021, https://umanaidoomd.com/blogs/blog/6-pillars-of-nutritional-psychiatry; Drew Ramsey, “The Seven Core Principles of Nutritional Psychiatry, from IIN Visiting Faculty Member Drew Ramsey, MD,” Institute for Integrative Nutrition Faculty (blog), September 17, 2022, https://www.integrativenutrition.com/blog/seven-core-principles-of-nutritional-psychiatry.
[11] Victoria Andrews, Gabrielle Zammit, and Fiona O’Leary, “Dietary Pattern, Food, and Nutritional Supplement Effects on Cognitive Outcomes in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review of Previous Reviews,” Nutrition Reviews 81, no. 11 (2023): 1462–89, https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuad013; Abdulhamied Alfaddagh et al., “Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease: From Mechanisms to Therapeutics,” American Journal of Preventive Cardiology 4 (2020): 1–19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpc.2020.100130; and Amin Gasmi et al., “Neurotransmitters Regulation and Food Intake: The Role of Dietary Sources in Neurotransmission,” Molecules 28, no. 1 (2022): 1–21, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010210.
[12] Tuba Shahid Chaudhry et al., “The Impact of Microbiota on the Gut–Brain Axis: Examining the Complex Interplay and Implications,” Journal of Clinical Medicine 12, no. 16 (2023): 1–20, https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12165231.
