College's Too Fat to Graduate rule under fire.

[DaemonSeid]

(CNN) -- Most college students expect to receive their diplomas on the basis of grades, but at a Pennsylvania school, physical fitness matters too.

Students at Lincoln University with a body mass index of 30 or above, reflective of obesity, must take a fitness course that meets three hours per week. Those who are assigned to the class but do not complete it cannot graduate.

Now that the first class to have this requirement imposed is nearing graduation day -- students who entered in the fall of 2006 -- the school faces criticism from both students and outsiders about the fitness class policy.

One of those students is Tiana Lawson, 21, whose recent editorial in the student paper has drawn national attention to the issue. Lawson wrote in The Lincolnian that she would be more understanding if the requirement applied to everyone. She thinks all students, not just those with a high BMI, should have to take the class.

"I didn't come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range," Lawson wrote. "I came here to get an education which, as a three-time honor student, is something I have been doing quite well, despite the fact that I have a slightly high Body Mass Index."

Lawson, who told CNN she had been putting off getting her BMI tested until this year, recently found out she would have to take the class. At first angry, Lawson said she is now more "confused" about the requirement.

"I don't know why they would want some people to be more healthy than others," she said.

But James DeBoy, chairman of the school's Department of Health and Physical Education, says the requirement is just like courses to help students' communications or math proficiency. The faculty also has a priority to be honest with students, he said.

"We, as educators, must tell students when we believe, in our heart of hearts, when certain factors, certain behaviors, attitudes, whatever, are going to hinder that student from achieving and maximizing their life goals," he said.


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[AOII Angel]

Interesting idea. I guess if you knew it was a requirement when you matriculated, it's pretty disingenuous to complain when you reach graduation and find out you fall into the group that have to take the class. I'd understand if they said you couldn't graduate if you didn't lose weight to fall under a BMI of 30.

[knight_shadow]

I remember reading about this on PP.

They knew it was a requirement when they enrolled. Their bad for waiting until the last minute.

[DaemonSeid]

BMI is usually not a good measurement to use...o well.

Time to back off of them Ramen noodles.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

BMI is usually not a good measurement to use...o well.

Time to back off of them Ramen noodles.

It's not a great measure when you are looking at the line between normal and overweight for athletes with high muscle content. It is a VERY good measure of the level of obesity. You aren't going to find a healthy athlete with a BMI over 30. As for extreme weight lifters, they usually are over weight and can be obese.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

It's not a great measure when you are looking at the line between normal and overweight for athletes with high muscle content. It is a VERY good measure of the level of obesity. You aren't going to find a healthy athlete with a BMI over 30. As for extreme weight lifters, they usually are over weight and can be obese.

webmd's BMI debate

[naraht]

I wouldn't be all that surprised to find out that the BMI measure might be used somehow by some of the Military Academies...

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

webmd's BMI debate

And none of that contradicted what I said. Yes, the distribution of fat does make a huge difference in how unhealthy your fat is, but nobody who is ranked as "obese" has healthy levels of fat no matter what the distribution of fat they have. All physicians would recommend that they lose weight.

[rhoyaltempest]

I am very familiar with Lincoln U. since my alumnae chapter advises our undergrad chapter there but this is the first I'm hearing of this. I'm with the girl that said that she wouldn't have a problem with this rule if everyone were made to take the course and I agree.

There is a huge misconception out there that "skinny = healthy" and this is just not the case. There are lots of out of shape skinny folks out there that eat nothing but junk. The biggest difference is their metabolisms.

I have a very skinny friend that never exercises, eats nothing but junk and fast food at all times of the day and night, and has a freakish metabolism so she never gains weight, but who's to say that her bad eating habits and sedentary lifestyle won't catch up with her one day? The last I checked, not only fat people get sick. This mentality has to change.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

It's not a great measure when you are looking at the line between normal and overweight for athletes with high muscle content. It is a VERY good measure of the level of obesity. You aren't going to find a healthy athlete with a BMI over 30. As for extreme weight lifters, they usually are over weight and can be obese.

An unfit girl, for instance, that still looks thin to normal can have a high BMI. (Mine when I was 19 was very high for my age range and I was a size 4...but ate McDonald's every day because I could get away with it and never exercised, so my muscle to fat ratio was extremely low. Any meat I had on my bones was skin and pure fat.) I think they should require everyone to take it...I was required to take health and one 1 hour activity class and if it weren't for that I'd probably still avoid exercising and wouldn't have adjusted my eating habits.

They should NOT look at the line for athletes. I will never have the BMI of an athlete, but I can aim to be healthy in as many ways as possible (which is about food and exercise, not just one or the other). And no one should HAVE to have the BMI of an extremely fit athlete. Healthy and normal is a good goal to have.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

An unfit girl, for instance, that still looks thin to normal can have a high BMI. (Mine when I was 19 was very high for my age range and I was a size 4...but ate McDonald's every day because I could get away with it and never exercised, so my muscle to fat ratio was extremely low. Any meat I had on my bones was skin and pure fat.) I think they should require everyone to take it...I was required to take health and one 1 hour activity class and if it weren't for that I'd probably still avoid exercising and wouldn't have adjusted my eating habits.

They should NOT look at the line for athletes. I will never have the BMI of an athlete, but I can aim to be healthy in as many ways as possible (which is about food and exercise, not just one or the other). And no one should HAVE to have the BMI of an extremely fit athlete. Healthy and normal is a good goal to have.

I think that you are missing the point. Your BMI may be "high" but no obese person will ever fit in a size 4 and no size 4 person has ever scored a BMI of 30! Yes, thin people can have bad eating habits, but if you look at people who have BMIs above 30, they have significantly worse eating habits and eat significantly more food than people who are thin and "say" they have bad eating habits. The obese patient will eat bad foods AND in LARGE quantities. No matter what the public tries to tell you, people don't become obese by eating the same amount of food as thin people.

I do agree, however, that Healthy and Normal is a good goal to have for everyone. The class would be helpful for all, but in the end, maybe not as needed.

[PeppyGPhiB]

My university had a physical education requirement when I was there - not sure if they still have it or not. Anyway, EVERYONE had to take a general PE class their freshman year. I couldn't take that class so I had to substitute two others - I chose volleyball and western horseback riding.

This school's requirement seems a little humiliating. I don't think it's the same as requiring students in communications or mathematics to take a specified course prior to proceeding with other coursework, unless there is another physical education requirement that all students must take that is dependent on students being able to meet a certain level of fitness.

[DGTess]

"We, as educators, must tell students when we believe, in our heart of hearts, when certain factors, certain behaviors, attitudes, whatever, are going to hinder that student from achieving and maximizing their life goals," he said.

In other words, we will set "their" life goals for them.

If a student's life goal doesn't include, particularly at this point in his life, being healthy, what business is it of the faculty? They're there to guide, not to indoctrinate.

But the ditzoid who doesn't bother to ensure she meets graduation requirements hasn't learned spit, and needs to learn a little personal responsibility.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by DGTess

In other words, we will set "their" life goals for them.

If a student's life goal doesn't include, particularly at this point in his life, being healthy, what business is it of the faculty? They're there to guide, not to indoctrinate.

But the ditzoid who doesn't bother to ensure she meets graduation requirements hasn't learned spit, and needs to learn a little personal responsibility.

What if my "goals" for earning a literature degree did not include any British Literature, say from . . . oh just throwing out 1750-1950. Should I have been eligible to opt out of those two courses?

Let's not pretend that the college doesn't already do this in dozens of other areas, ranging from residence life to diploma requirements. Schools already require physicals and certain inoculations. What's so different about fat content? Hurt feelings? That seems . . . poor.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

What if my "goals" for earning a literature degree did not include any British Literature, say from . . . oh just throwing out 1750-1950. Should I have been eligible to opt out of those two courses?

Let's not pretend that the college doesn't already do this in dozens of other areas, ranging from residence life to diploma requirements. Schools already require physicals and certain inoculations. What's so different about fat content? Hurt feelings? That seems . . . poor.

That's a specific degree you're talking about, though. I'm sure a science major isn't forced to take BritLit 101. This doesn't have anything to do with degrees being granted, and I really question how it's going to assist any graduate in furthering their career. "Ah! You graduated from Lincoln U! Your BMI must be stellar - here, have this $100k advertising job immediately!"

I mean, if they were doing this to phys ed majors, I don't think anyone would be blinking an eyelash.