You've taken the labs, finished your "W" courses and completed the credits. As a graduating senior, there isn't anything stopping you from walking across the stage and receiving that hard-earned diploma in May - but if you're a student at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, you might want to start hitting the gym.
According to CNN.com, students enrolled at Lincoln University with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above are required to take a fitness course that meets three hours per week. Those individuals who are assigned to the class but fail to complete it will not graduate. With the class who entered the college in the fall of 2006 being the first group of students made to comply with this rule, controversy has sparked as graduation day approaches.
The historically black college implemented this new health policy with the intention to "spread the message that people in school, including high school and middle school, need more physical activity." With four out of five African American women either overweight or obese along with African Americans being 1.4 times more likely to be obese compared to non-Hispanic whites, chairman of the school's Department of Health and Physical Education, James DeBoy, said, "Obesity is going to rob you of your quality and quantity of life. We believe that this is unconscionable."
The fitness course, named "Fitness for Life," includes activities such as water aerobics and Tai Bo. Since the beginning of the program, DeBoy said 620 students have either been tested or taken the course, but 80 students have yet to get their BMI calculated. It is estimated that between 12 and 15 people will be taking the class this coming January.
While obesity is undoubtedly a growing American health epidemic, the American population, Lincoln University's policy is ultimately discriminatory. When students enroll in college, they expect to be evaluated on their academic abilities and not a number that can be measured on a scale. A person's body mass should not take precedence over the hard work they have invested into their college education. Each body is built differently and even if someone is overweight, this should not be a factor in determining whether or not they are deserving of a diploma. Furthermore, those who suffer from metabolic syndromes, diabetes and insulin resistance can struggle with losing weight. What Lincoln University neglects to acknowledge is that their students are adults and therefore must be held accountable for their personal well-being. Part of being an adult in college is making smart decisions which range from alcohol consumption to whether they are going to have pizza or a salad for dinner. Though it is definitely a challenge, students can still maintain healthy lifestyles while at college by being conscious of what they eat and making the effort to exercise. If students are responsible enough to vote, drink alcohol and enroll in the military, are they not responsible enough to choose how they maintain their health? People who want to lose weight and make healthy changes in their lives have to want to do it for themselves and not because they have the threat of not graduating prodding them to do so.
If Lincoln University truly wants to combat obesity and other health-related issues on their campus, there are other effective ways of doing this that do not discriminate. Initiatives can be taken such as offering healthier meal options at dining halls or creating additional fitness programs and classes that students will not feel pressured to participate in. If the college wishes to keep its current policy as it stands, it should be entirely inclusive, making it a mandatory graduation requirement for everyone regardless of individual BMIs.
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