<p>"A Pennsylvania university's requirement that overweight undergraduates take a fitness course to receive their degrees has raised the hackles of students and the eyebrows of health and legal experts.</p>
<p>Officials at historically black Lincoln University said Friday that the school is simply concerned about high rates of obesity and diabetes, especially in the African-American community."</p>
<p>My</a> Way News - Pa. university students upset about fitness class</p>
<p>I don’t think this is new in PA, but maybe to this university. I always thought it strange when my S was required to take physical education classes at his college even though he was on the lacrosse team all four years. Between practices, Fall Ball and games he was physically active all year long.</p>
<p>Okay, so I never understood why athletes had to also take one year of PE at our HS until the curriculum was pointed out. I’m betting that’s not the case in college, and if it’s the fitness that is being emphasized, then I think the college athlete should be excused from the requirement since his/her sport likely covers it and then some. If someone told me I had to take some fitness class in college while I was also working hard as a member of the crew team, I would have been livid. Power 10!</p>
<p>In any event, why doesn’t Lincoln U make this a requirement for all students (athletes exempted, since they are getting the fitness already)?</p>
<p>Well, the point is that it’s required only (?) for overweight undergraduates. But honestly, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. I’ll be honest with you, as an overweight pre-undergrad, it’s a lot easier to work out with other overweight and obese people than it is to huff and puff at a 4.0 on the treadmill when the guy next to you is coolly “jogging” at a 12.5.</p>
<p>Since 12.5 miles per hour would be a 4.48 mile - the guy next to you wouldn’t be “jogging” but instead flying off the treadmill.</p>
<p>If PE was a graduation requirement for all students, OK, but not OK to require it only of overweight students. None of their business.</p>
<p>That’s probably a 12.5 minute mile, peter_parker, not an MPH. 
It does seem a bit odd to require a class based on weight. I think some kind of PE requirement is fine. I know Columbia had a swim test requirement, too; not sure if that’s still in effect.</p>
<p>This is a good idea. The unhealthy overweight kids need the exercise, the already healthy kids don’t, it’s as simple as that. It’s not like the administration is violating privacy by doing this, since the kids that are out of shape are fairly obvious. Obesity is a disease that kills far too many people, especially since it takes so little to combat.</p>
<p>I was exaggerating. I thought that was obvious. I meant to say that it is hard to huff and puff at a slow pace when the guy next to you is going twice that fast and is breathing like I breathe when I’m asleep.</p>
<p>“This is a good idea. The unhealthy overweight kids need the exercise, the already healthy kids don’t, it’s as simple as that. It’s not like the administration is violating privacy by doing this, since the kids that are out of shape are fairly obvious. Obesity is a disease that kills far too many people, especially since it takes so little to combat.”</p>
<p>The kids that are unhealthy are NOT obvious and thin DOES NOT equal healthy. General failure.</p>
<p>Obesity is something we need to combat and cut down on, but university weight requirements are the entirely wrong arena. I’m not sure how this ridiculous idea got green-lighted.</p>
<p>EVERYONE benefits from exercise, therefore EVERYONE should have to take this class. </p>
<p>As someone who is 6’ and 140 lbs, I am not large, but I know plenty of larger people who are MUCH healthier than I am. I need exercise in order to keep my blood sugar in check, but other people don’t. The fact is, just because someone is skinny doesn’t mean that they don’t need exercise. Again, this should be a requriement for ALL undergrads not just ones with a certain BMI.</p>
<p>That’s crazy! It’s really ridiculous that they would require this of their overweight students and not the whole student body. Starting college is stressful enough without your school telling you that you’re fat and you have to take a class to lose weight. I wouldn’t go to that school if they told me that, it’s just rude! Losing weight is something that you really do have to set your own goals for.</p>
<p>Want a way to make kids lose weight? Start by making healthy food less expensive. I still think it’s ironic that getting a piece of pizza and chips has always been cheaper than getting salads and other healthy food for lunch.</p>
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<p>And your BMI would not be a good indicator of this. You can be just as unhealthy as someone who’s overweight and be thin. I’m overweight, and I eat better than my friend who I can easliy outrun, but she’s pretty damn thin. Why should I have to take this class and not her?</p>
<p>And hey. Why don’t they make all people who fall below a healthy BMI take a class then? Being overweight isn’t the only thing that kills, yanno. Besides, why is it even the school’s place to do this? This isn’t high school. We’re adults here, and we can make the choices we want to make, without repercussions from the university we attend (for the most part).</p>
<p>If this were a class for everyone, I wouldn’t think the idea was stupid because they could pass it off as just another graduation requirement. But they’re signaling out kids, and it’s not their place to. I’m not paying my university to tell me I’m unhealthy, but everyone thin is.</p>
<p>They’re completely justified in only requiring obese people to exercise… They are fighting OBESITY, not “unfitness.” I hope every college follows suit. It is NOT okay to be obese, and everyone needs to know this. It does NOBODY any good to be accepting of obesity, and in fact it dangers the lives of the obese, who are convinced it’s okay and normal.</p>
<p>It’s not any better to be completely unhealthy but just so happen to have good metabolism. I know obese people with better health habits than me.</p>
<p>I’d be curious to know the real statistics on how much obese people eat vs the “fast metabolism” skinny people. I also wonder how many of them lie about how much they eat. Without knowing these, it’s impossible to truly come to the conclusion that metabolism is the main contributor. I find it incredibly hard to believe any normal human would gain enough weight to boost them into the “overweight” category (and even more-so into “obesity”) without significantly increased caloric intake or decreased energy consumption, even considering changes in metabolism.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong… I’m not in any way prejudiced against obese people lol. I’m friends with them just the same as anyone else.</p>
<p>I am not arguing that obese people just have low metabolism, I am just arguing that even if you’re skinny if you eat nothing but pizza and never work out or sleep regularly you shouldn’t be exempt on the basis that you’re healthier than someone who is obese.</p>
<p>You know me so well… <3</p>
<p>I’d be happy to exercise as a requirement. The only reason I don’t right now is because I’d get unwanted attention. If everyone had to, then no one would even notice, and the same is probably true for the obese people, so it’d be best to require everyone to.</p>
<p>I was just saying that I don’t think this is unfair or that obese people are being “picked on,” and that this is a legitimate policy.</p>
<p>I think it is legitimate, albeit obnoxious, as long as it is required for everyone. I can’t imagine the humiliation of being singled out for the fat kids class, and honestly my self esteem is fragile enough that I would probably resort to unhealthy methods to lose weight to avoid it.</p>
<p>Thankfully I am not overweight. (yet D: )</p>