Cops and doughnuts — it’s one of the oldest tropes in American pop culture. From late-night comedy sketches to cartoons like “The Simpsons,” police officers are often portrayed with a cup of coffee in one hand, a powdered doughnut in the other. The joke works because it plays on two stereotypes at once. The first is that police officers spend long shifts sitting in their cars — basically, a “desk job” without a desk. The second is that many in law enforcement struggle with their weight. Hilarious, right?
Like many stereotypes, this one is at least partially rooted in truth.
Research and personal observation both tell us maintaining a healthy weight is a serious concern in policing. By some estimates, as many as 60% of police officers are obese, a rate considerably higher than the general U.S. adult population. (The CDC says the overall number is about 40%.) But it’s not just about too many visits to Duncan for coffee and a cruller.
Shift work, constant stress, disrupted sleep, and long hours all contribute to metabolic challenges and weight gain for law enforcement officers. In spite of this — or maybe because of it — the doughnut remains a cultural symbol, a convenient (and, let’s face it, funny) shorthand for unhealthy eating habits and the sedentary nature of law enforcement.
A recent study adds fresh perspective to the “doughnut problem,” and the results may surprise you. As it turns out, it isn’t the occasional doughnut that drives poor health among officers — it’s the very nature of modern policing.
Cops and Doughnuts
The link between police officers and doughnuts dates back to the practical realities of police work in the mid-20th century.
Have you ever wondered why cops in old movies are often referred to as “flatfoot”? This is because police officers used to walk … a lot. Before patrol cars became de rigueur, officers literally “walked a beat.” As more law enforcement personnel started spending their time in motor units, the level of activity in a typical police officer’s workday changed dramatically.
This change began well before the ubiquitous availability of 24-hour convenience stores and fast-food restaurants. Officers frequently worked overnight shifts, when most restaurants and other businesses were closed, and they needed a place to rest, fill out paperwork, or grab a quick snack. Doughnut shops were among the few places open late at night, providing not only food and coffee but also a warm, comfortable environment where officers could take short breaks during patrols.
Doughnut shops offered two essentials for night-shift work: caffeine and carbs. Coffee provided the necessary boost in alertness while doughnuts were inexpensive, calorie-dense, and easy to eat on the go. The presence of a police officer also offered doughnut shop owners a bonus in the form of security, as the patrol car parked outside helped deter crime.
By the 1970s and 1980s, television, film, and stand-up comedy were happily riffing on the stereotype of cops and doughnuts. It still persists today, even though modern officers have access to a much wider variety of food options during shifts.
“Being ‘fit for duty’ is more than just a slogan — it’s a literal requirement for safe, effective policing.”
Obesity and Law Enforcement
A 2025 study out of North Carolina examined the connection between occupational stress, disordered eating, and obesity rates among police officers. Almost 60% of officers in the study met the criteria for obesity, researchers found, with a BMI of 30 or higher.
Not surprisingly, the analysis highlighted obvious connections between occupational stress and less-than-healthy eating habits. Officers reporting higher levels of job-related stress — including post-traumatic stress symptoms and fear of victimization — were more likely to exhibit disordered eating. More than 20% of officers also reported moderate to severe binge-eating, another possible reaction to on-the-job trauma. These behaviors, in turn, correlated with higher BMIs and elevated levels of body fat. Importantly, officers in rural counties showed the highest stress, binge-eating, and obesity levels compared with those working in urban or suburban areas.
Overall, the study suggests obesity in policing is not only widespread but also strongly connected to the psychological demands of the profession. The authors call for targeted wellness initiatives to promote stress management, healthy eating, and social support systems.
Putting “Doughnut Science” to the Test
Another study, this one from 2021, seems perfectly designed to provide insights into what happens when cops overindulge in sugary treats. Researchers set out to test what happens when sedentary, overweight men consume a steady dose of doughnuts. Yes, seriously. In addition to their normal diets, study participants were asked to eat two donuts per day, six days a week, for a month. Recipes vary, of course, but a typical doughnut contains the following:
- Calories: ~250–300 kcal
- Carbohydrates: ~30–35 g (including ~12–15 g in sugars and <1 g in fiber)
- Fat: ~11–15 g (including ~5–7 g of saturated fat and small amounts of trans fat)
- Protein: ~3–4 g
This amounted to about 14,500 extra calories per person during the test period.
But it wasn’t just doughnut consumption being tested in this study. Participants were split into three groups based on physical activity:
- Group 1: Did no exercise during the four-week test period.
- Group 2: Did moderate-intensity exercise during the test period.
- Group 3: Did high-intensity interval training (HIIT) during the test period.
The researchers expected to see measurable weight gain, increased fat mass, and signs of deteriorating metabolic health, especially in the non-exercise group.
Surprisingly, significant increases in body weight and fat mass never materialized — in any of the groups. Instead, participants appeared to self-regulate by unconsciously reducing their intake of other foods, offsetting the surplus calories from the doughnuts. Metabolic markers such as fasting glucose, insulin, lipids, and blood pressure also remained largely unchanged over the study period.
Test subjects from groups 2 and 3, who exercised during the study period, saw improvements to their cardiovascular fitness (VO₂max), but the extra doughnuts likely limited some of the benefits of physical training. The non-sedentary participants didn’t show the expected physical improvements, particularly in how well their blood vessels functioned.
In other words, doughnuts didn’t cause the big health crash researchers feared, but the indulgences also got in the way of some of the potential upsides of regular exercise.
It’s Not the Doughnuts (or Not Just the Doughnuts)
This study provides surprising context around the stereotype about cops and doughnuts. We assume regular doughnut consumption inevitably leads to weight gain and poor health outcomes among police officers. At least in the short term, though, indulgent snacking doesn’t automatically translate into obesity or declining health, because both bodies and behaviors adapt in complex ways. Still, the absence of immediate harm should not be mistaken for a free pass. The study lasted only four weeks, and real-world policing can span decades of shift work, stress, sedentary car patrols, and irregular eating patterns — all factors that amplify the long-term risk of weight gain and metabolic disease.
The connection between cops and doughnuts is more symbolic here than literal. In the historical trope, doughnuts represent convenience, comfort, and community presence for officers working overnight shifts. But when it comes to physical health, the real challenge for law enforcement officers is the nature of the job itself. Occasional indulgent snacking, as the study shows, is unlikely to be the decisive factor. Instead, it is the long-term combination of a quality diet, effective stress management, and sustained physical activity that positively impacts wellness.
Staying Fit for Duty
A career in law enforcement entails long hours, high stress, and lots of sitting — often in a patrol car in the middle of the night. Shift work, disrupted sleep, and constant exposure to trauma take a toll on mental health as well as physical well-being. Many officers struggle with weight gain, high rates of PTSD, and patterns of disordered eating that stem from stress. Add in the transition from the old “flatfoot” walking a beat to largely sedentary patrol work and it’s no surprise law enforcement officers face some of the highest risks of obesity and related health problems among any occupation.
Being “fit for duty” is more than just a slogan — it’s a literal requirement for safe, effective policing. Officers need strength, stamina, and mental resilience to do their jobs well, and maintaining that level of fitness requires regular exercise, healthier food choices, adequate sleep, and better stress management.
The good news is that the research shows a few indulgences — like a doughnut or two during a long night shift — isn’t going to ruin a police officer’s health. What matters is the bigger picture. If the foundation of fitness is there, a delicious treat now and then can still be a small comfort, not a liability.
