I run four days a week, climb, and lift weights; my maximum bench was 315lbs. I'm also 5'8" and weigh 200lbs, giving me a BMI > 30. By this university's standards, I'm thus obese and require supplementary physical education.

When I was seriously into bodybuilding and weighed 175lbs, I looked like a take-home size action hero. Six pack, huge arms, etc. My BMI at that time was 25.8, which is still considered 'overweight', and 'unhealthy'.

I'm all for encouraging fitness, but using some totally worthless metric to determine who needs to take a PE class is, at the very best, a waste of time and a blatant tax on the students.

It might be controversial but I personally agree.

Especially as an adult your BMI is something you control. I don't understand why society is so tolerant of people mildly self-harming. Especially when the poor health as a result of obesity has an adverse affect on the economics of health the health care system we all use (public health, or company group pools).

If this was about stopping people cutting themselves for a high, then there wouldn't even be a debate. But because it's about an eating related disorder people are defending their dysfunction as acceptable.

Maybe not having a KFC on campus would help... http://www.lincolnuniversitydining.com/locations.html

I'm torn on this. On the one hand, I think not taking a required class is sufficient grounds to deny graduation. On the other hand, I think the college was out of line to require "obese"[1] people to take additional classes. The college has a responsibility to prepare students for their adult life, but (a) until I see evidence to the contrary, I highly suspect that special-ed classes for fat people are one of the least effective ways of achieving this goal (b) part of being an adult is taking personal responsibility. I'm not normally someone to whine about nanny government, but the college's policy strikes me as overstepping. My personal moral system also requires more from the students than passively not taking a class for the excuse of 'protesting' to fly, but others may disagree.

[1] Air quotes because BMI should not in any way be considered a reliable way of measuring obesity. Body builders will tend to be considered "obese" because muscle is dense and they have more muscle weight than other people their height.

Why do people get so uppity about BMI? It's a range. 20-25 is the healthy range for most Caucasians. If you are big-boned and have big muscles, then 25 is a good weight. If you are slender, then 20 is a good weight.

Sure, there are guys who are 30, and think they are pretty fit, but they are generally also pretty fat.

There are a few serious body builders who can get past 30, and still be fit, but they are the exception not the rule.

Something like 30% of Americans are obese. Compared to 14% of Canadians, and 9% of French. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity There might be a few more linebackers and bodybuilders in the USA, but I think it's mostly just fat people.

Measuring percent of body fat is probably better, but you can't do it on a set of bathroom scales.

The class itself is a good idea, but they should have everyone take it unless they either "place out" of it by passing a physical and written fitness test or get an exemption from a doctor saying they can't do it.

To try to single out particular students for it is not only poor policy from a stigmatization perspective, but is also ineffective from an educational standpoint, especially when they use a metric as coarse as BMI. Having a low BMI hardly means that one is fit, healthy, or knowledgeable about any of those things.

Is this really any different than the "diversity" classes that some schools make freshmen take?

I don't get it. My college required 3 credits of physical education/nutrition to graduation and we didn't have newspapers bemoaning that we were forced to take these courses. The point of controversy seems that they only require the course for overweight students--but on the other hand students who can demonstrate proficiency in other subjects (by placement tests or AP scores for example) can skip otherwise mandatory classes. (on the third hand BMI is probably a lot closer to bullsht than an AP score)

"Forced" seems a bit strong a word though when it's your choice where (or if) you attend college.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=959884

I hope this submission doesn't get killed too.