That’s the story at Lincoln University…
Lincoln University in Pennsylvania is cracking down on it’s BMI rule. In 2006 the university put into affect that students with a BMI over 30 were required to take and fitness/nutrition course in order to graduate. And now that freshman class is up for graduation and 24 students have yet to take the course and need to.
That would really suck if you make it through 4 tough years of school… had a 3.6 GPA but couldn’t receive your diploma because according to the school you’re too fat.
This is a pretty steamy topic right now with opinions flying all over the place… and that makes me want to jump right in too.
What Makes This Fat Course Crap-ola
The first issue… what does BMI really have to do with telling someone if they’re fat or not? Let’s face it BMI is one of the WORST indicators of being unhealthy. The only thing it takes into consideration is height and weight… and if these smart university admin people knew that they might have picked a better tester.
Pretend these are women... you still get the idea!
There are a-class olympic athletes that are considered obese because of BMI… it doesn’t take in to consideration lean muscle mass which everyone knows weighs more than fat. There are people with body fat % under 15% who are “fat” by these claims…crazy.
Second off… do you think it’s ok to target only the “fat” students? Just because you’re not fat now doesn’t mean you won’t ever struggle with weight in your life. At 22, most people are much more active and outgoing then at 45, so don’t you think of Lincoln University really cared about their students they would require ALL of the student body to take a class on living a healthy lifestyle?
I’m just saying but I wish Winthrop (where I went) required all freshman to take a class on healthy living… oh weight (pun intended) we did! And there were no quarms because we all had to take it and it also taught up about team work and maintaining a college career.
And the last point I will make while I am on my soap box today… is I did some research and noticed that tuition for Lincoln is $23,000/year. So by 4 years, a student has paid $92,000…. does the school have the right to tell a paying student they are fat and can’t graduate because of that even though they have maintained a passing GPA and filled all requirements for their major?
That’s All I have To Say About That
So you can probably see that I am against this course… but completely. I know that obesity and weight issues are a huge problem right now for Americans. And I actually think this is a great class BUT I think it should be a requirement for every student that steps foot onto the campus. I also think that every student should have to take a phys ed class too… I took one every semester just for fun and it was a great way to split up the day and get a decent workout in.
What’s your take on the Lincoln University “FAT” Rule? I want to know what you think!
Click for more on the Lincoln University Issue
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Unreal. The rules/requirements should be for everyone. Not for a specific class or target. That’s discrimination.
Schools in general are just a joke and a waste of money. Schools are nothing but broken promises and dreams. They teach people nothing of real value. The only thing schools teach is how to be subservient under a “one world government”. No free thinking, no creativity, no independence in schools.
Better off using the internet for learning and education. You learn a lot more than being inside the box. A degree/diploma is nothing but a piece of paper.