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Obese Students May Be Barred from Graduating
Some two dozen Lincoln University seniors may not receive their degrees this spring, thanks to a graduation requirement stipulating that students who enter college with a BMI over 30 must either prove to the school that they've lost weight, or take a one-semester class called "Fitness for Life." Lincoln, a historically black university in Oxford, Pennsylvania, enacted the requirement in 2006, meaning that this year's graduating class is the first to feel its effects. Despite student protests, James DeBoy, chairman of the health, physical education, and recreation department, doesn't see a problem with the requirement. "We test for written, oral communication skills, and I don't see this as any different," he says. "We want our students to have a sound mind, but also a sound body."
floridabob
Perhaps the Univ feels these students have more to learn.
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gak001
No, you just have to take a fitness course to get your degree - RTFA.
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gak001
Ha ha ha, Touche.
aackc1
You represent the college. I see nothing wrong with this. It is about learning to be an adult... If you don't like it, don't go to college there.
Or let's continue it the other way, be the most wasteful, obese nation in the world
eurydice9276
If the students knew this was a requirement for graduation when they decided to go to this university, then they've got nothing to complain about.
xlntcat
That rings too much of common sense.
DakLak
Any Federal and State funding should be withdrawn until equality rules, again.
TWBBug
CAN U SAY COMMUNISM? CAN U SAY THE PERFECT SOCIETY...HITLER DID?
These Bible-Beaters who want to make us all do lockstep totally disregards the fact God gave us these bodies which are of the flesh and the flesh of of the devil. Obesity is a chronic illness that is not only physical but spiritual as well as mental.
What happen to our freedom? How can we sit back and allow these biggots who most have sick sexual desires to dictate our lives.
BETTER WAKE UP AMERICA...PAT ROBERTSON WILL BE CHECKING YOUR BREAKFAST AND SLEEPING HABITS NEXT.
galeso
Hitler was not a commie, he was a Socialist ("The National Socialist German Worker's Party") like Obama.
Cubedweller
Uh, no. Hitler was Fascist. Try again.
gak001
He was about as much of a socialist as Republicans are communists like the People's Republic of China. Hitler was a fascist and Nazism was a form of fascism.
easton
you really have to look up the definition of socialism sometime. Socialism is the government controlling the means of production. Tell me one industry Obama has socialized. He didn't nationalize the Banks, or the Auto Industry, and AIG was bought under Bush (so he was the Socialist). Come to think of it, so were the bailouts of the Auto companies and the banks...hmmm... Republicans are Commies.
xlntcat
Hilter hated communism and the communist hated Hitler. Hitler, however, did fall neatly into any "ism" of the day. There was also a National Christian movement that supported Hitler's policy's in Nazi Germany and remained closed aligned to same as the migrated to the USA. They are currently known as The Family aka The Fellowship aka the Christain Mafia. There goal remains to take over the world for the "new chosen" who are deemed by God to amass wealth and power at the expense of the common people.
justinlerner
Interesting theories. Your logic is akin to that of Nero (the Roman emperor) who blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians and accelerated their persecution, or of Hitler who blamed the demise of Germany on Jews and implemented the genocide of the holocaust.
There are political parties in various countries around the world that call themselves Christian Democrats, but are neither Christian nor Democratic, but really socialist or communist in philosophy. There are also multiple countries that have the word Republic in the title, but do not have a true republican (public representative) form a government. (Peoples Republic of China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
There are also people who call themselves Christian by heritage, but are not Christian by any means. A Christian is one who believes in God and Jesus Christ, and who accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior and who aspires to live a life that is obedient to the gospel of the New Covenant. Christianity never attempts to amass wealth and power. But the US is unique in that most of its inhabitants view it as a land of opportunity (without respect of religion). True followers of Christ (or Christians) have no desire to amass wealth on earth. Your statements to the contrary are stereotyping and ignorant of a group who call themselves Christian, yet they aren't really following the teachings of Christ.
kscr14
No blogging until you get the BMI down........!
Shakker
Do they deny diplomas for anorexics, bulimics, people with bad teeth from too much sugar, people whose blood shows deficiencies due to poor eating habits, people who engage in unprotected sex, SMOKERS, binge drinkers, drug users, closet sex deviants, bigots, greed related moral deviants or any other group? If not, they are just prejudiced towards fat people. They are also running a scam by collecting money from people under false pretenses. Did the curriculum of the required courses include weigh ins to pass?
spokospoko
Your last question is the only significant one, and the answer is: Yes, they did. Students were told of the requirement, and agreed to it.
xlntcat
I don't know if this will float as no efforts to reduce America's obesity epidemic has not been deemed politically incorrect so far. However, the African American community suffers disproportionately from the diseases related to obesity and American parents have shirked their responsibility to their children while they abuse fool themselves.
mmanion
Frankly, your tone suggesting that you alone are the arbiter of 'significance' is pretty obnoxious. Being thin does not automatically confer moral superiority. It is certainly no proof of academic excellence. In this country, people don't have the option to agree to being discriminated against. It doesn't matter what the students agreed to if the activity of the school is found to be discriminatory. The poster was simply pointing out the logical fallacy of the schools position. If this were really about health, weight is only one factor. Since the school has singled out a lone health-related factor, it's really about discrimination, not health. I disagree with you that this is not significant.
Granite
This is just the same old hate for fat people, but with a new spin. Now the dress up hate in the guise that they are concerned about your health.
Concerned about their graduates health, or concerned about how Stepford-ish their grads look? Do they give them all drug tests to make sure they are clean and sober?
DD3075
I agree 100%. How much more intrusive can they get? Let's evaluate these "sound" bodies:
1) Anyone unmarried & pregnant? - can't graduate
2) Any STDs? - can't graduate
3) Any eating disorders? - can't graduate
4) Any illegal drugs? - can't graduate
5) Men unable to bench 200 lbs - can't graduate
6) Women unable to bench 100 lbs - can't graduate
7) Can't run a quarter mile - can't graduate
8) Alcoholism - can't graduate
9) Diabetes - can't graduate
10) Smokers - can't graduate
11) Anyone being treated for depression - can't graduate
12) .....................somebody stop me!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd simply transfer all of my credits to another school and graduate there. I wonder what will happen with the first lawsuit. Intimidation is intimidation, and discrimination is discrimination, no matter how you do it.
xlntcat
At one time, unmarried, pregnant students were not allowed to graduate. A married, unpregnant member of my graduating class was not allowed to walk or participate in Class Day and pregnant student in some areas are still not permitted to attend some schools.
xlntcat
You best get concerned about the health of the over 60% of Americans that suffer from obesity.
j831526
This is getting silly. Why do you have to get concerned about other's health? Ok, if Obamacare passes, fat people may raise healthcare costs (unproved because we tend to die younger), but in general other people's lifestyle's are none of your business.
I'm obese, and while I don't like fat people being singled out it's not illegal especially since these fat people agreed to the conditions in advance. My family is concerned about my health; so are some of my friends. But why do you care? Even if you're really kind enough to care and make suggestions, it should stop there.
getkicksonrte66
Absurd .
MaliciousDisorder
More death panels
galeso
or take a one-semester class called "Fitness for Life."
I had to take two semesters of calculus for a BBA. Guess how much I use it today.
Leprekike
It's definitely discriminatory, and wholly un-American. For a couple of years now Philadelphia, PA (which is within an hour's drive from Lincoln, and within its media sphere) has been named in the top 5 of Fattest Cities in America, and the bad press seems to elicit this sort of social engineering all over the Delaware Valley region. The problem though is that the students currently enrolled failed to properly read the fine print and complain about it before they paid their tuition. It is a binding agreement which they entered into naively, but willingly. On the one hand you can see the benefit of the argument, since obesity can either cause or worsen any number of life-threatening health conditions, and therefore increase the financial and psychological burdens of the individual and eventually society, but the execution is poor and insulting. It would seem to violate the principles of liberty, as so many rules and regulations often do; while it may be counterproductive to destroy one's body thusly, it is still that person's right to do as he or she wishes rather than conform to some pre-determined and misguided ideal. Since the institution receives a measure of public funding it should be held to the same constitutional standards as all other similar entities and this requirement should be removed.
eurydice9276
I don't know how fine that print was if students had to have their weight and Body Mass Index recorded when they came in as freshmen.
xlntcat
I can see schools require fitness courses a part of a requirement for graduation in fact I went to an undergraduate college that did, but at the college level it is too little too late. If we want to reverse the trend start in pre-school. Having to reach a certain BMI for graduation is a bridge too far. To begin with there is controversy over the accuracy of most measuring devices of BMI. I wouldn't want to have to defend this school in court.
Alonzo
I agree. Also, there is a venerable theory that divides people into three body types: Ectomorphs, Endomorphs, and Mesomorphs. Ectomorphs are naturally skinny; Endomorphs are naturally rotund; Mesomorphs are naturally muscular and cut. The theory believes that people are happier and healthier when they do not fight, but rather comply with their natural body types. Why should Endomorphs be descriminated against because they are simply being what they were meant to be?
barrett
Wouldn't it be better to bar them from the lunchroom?
Johnnyappleseed
Take out the vending machines, no pastries on campus.
westtexas8
Barrett- perhaps it would be better to bar the large food manufacturers and processors from adding chemicals to the food supply. a large part of the obesity problem seems to be the processed foods we eat. Why not educate everyone of the effect of eating chemicals and calling that food?
Johnnyappleseed
Lets have congress look into this, it's as bad as steroids in baseball.
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