With the passage of the Thanksgiving holiday, most Americans feel their jeans tugging a little tighter on their waistlines. It comes as no surprise that Americans love to eat. We even have a national holiday dedicated to unrestrained feasting. In reality, the American "fat" epidemic is no laughing matter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2006, 67 percent of non-institutionalized adults aged 20 years or older were considered either overweight or obese. Of this number, 34 percent were considered obese. When it comes to stymieing the effects of the rapidly expanding waistline, the government has taken little action, leaving some innovative Americans to take matters into their own hands. Recently, Lincoln University - located in Oxford, Pennsylvania - came under fire for a graduation requirement which mandates that students deemed medically obese either lose weight or participate in a semester-long physical fitness class. While the policy sparked controversy and does single out certain otherwise academically qualified individuals, more inventive policies like it are needed if America hopes to battle its weight problem.
In 2006, Lincoln University, a historically black university, instituted a graduation requirement that all students seeking degrees must have a body mass index under 30. BMI measures body fat based on height and weight. Any student whose BMI rose above 30 was considered overweight and would be required to either lose weight or participate in a weekly three hour, semester-long "Fitness For Life" class. The class involves water aerobics, cardio-boxing and other physical exercise. The policy has been met with strong criticism from both within that university and across the nation as the first class with the requirement nears graduation.
The Lincoln University policy does walk a fine line between acceptable university prerequisite and discrimination. Lincoln University instituted a policy that singles out certain individuals based on a particular characteristic. Unlike gender, race, color, religion, age, disabilities and pregnancy, weight is not a federally protected category. Even so, that does not mean the university can justifiably discriminate against students who are overweight. The university is private, though it does receive public funding. Legally. Liberty University can require that any student with a BMI that rises above 30 take a semester-long "Fitness for Life" class in order to graduate. Lincoln University's below-30 BMI criteria and "Fitness for Life" class is a prerequisite like any other college prerequisite, and students were informed of the requirement before entering the university. In other words, students who do not like the requirement do not have to attend Lincoln University. Chairman of the university's Department of Health and Physical Education, James DeBoy 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." To avoid discrimination, physical fitness and health education should be a prerequisite for all students. Many individuals who are normal weight in youth become overweight adults because of unhealthy eating habits. The university cited insufficient funds and resources as the reason the fitness class is not a mandated requirement for all students.
The "Fitness for Life" class is no different than other mandated classes for unhealthy behaviors. Students who exhibit problems with alcohol or drugs are often directed to take classes in alcohol and drug education in order to continue attending classes. Why in theory should weight be treated any differently? Obesity is often, though not always, a lifestyle choice. Though genetics do affect one's weight, it cannot be the sole cause for America's obesity problem. It's true, there are situations in which medications, disabilities or illness can lead to unavoidable weight gain. When this is the case, the university should allow students to be exempt from participating in the class. While conditions do exist where a person cannot maintain a healthy weight, a large part of the obesity epidemic in America is due to the simple fact that Americans eat too much. Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary Super Size Me exposed the American eating culture of fast food chains, jumbo sizes, and relative inactivity. To combat unhealthy eating habits, it seems elemental to adopt physical fitness and healthy-eating education where it is needed most, in our nation's schools. Attending a weekly three-hour physical fitness class is not meant to be punishment, but rather a plan to instill healthy habits as students prepare for life.
More schools and universities should adopt programs that emphasize healthy lifestyle changes. Physical fitness and health education should be incorporated into higher education. It only seems natural that as students prepare for lifetime careers, they should also prepare for a lifetime of healthy eating. Likewise, classes should not single out students whose BMI is too high. All students can benefit from dietary education. Unhealthy eating learned in youth only comes back to haunt us later. Obesity is a national problem which is not only emptying our pocketbooks, but also contributing to other health risks, health care costs, global warming and national debt.
While Lincoln University's weight prerequisite has certainly sparked controversy, it represents an innovative approach to tackling America's problem with obesity. Even our own University, which seems to be a rather "fit" campus, should look for creative ways to encourage physical fitness and health education. Whether you are a normal weight or overweight, the increasing weight gain in America will affect you. The only way to combat the problem is through education, and it needs to start now.
Ashley Chappo's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at a.chappo@cavalierdaily.com.
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