<p>It appears the College has come to its senses and rescinded this poorly thought out policy</p>
<p>Lincoln University rescinds fitness requirement for obese students
Saturday, December 05, 2009
By Vivian Nereim, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</p>
<p>Cudgeled by activists across the nation and assailed by reporters from as far away as Russia, faculty at Lincoln University voted yesterday to amend a policy that required obese students to take an extra fitness class to graduate.</p>
<p>Administrators knew the requirement would spark controversy, but the blaze that burst forth as word of the policy spread was bigger than they expected, to say the least. During the past few weeks, the historically black college, tucked away in rural Chester County, was thrust into the international spotlight.</p>
<p>James DeBoy, chairman of the college’s Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, fielded calls from reporters in France, Australia and London. Students lashed out in the campus newspaper, The Lincolnian. Even PETA chimed in, urging the college to eradicate meat, eggs and dairy.</p>
<p>“This is not right. This is not fair. This is intimidating. This is evil. This is stigmatizing,” said Mr. DeBoy, summarizing the breadth of the criticisms he heard.</p>
<p>Lincoln University stood by the policy for weeks, but last evening faculty at the college voted to amend the requirement.</p>
<p>Instead of being mandated to take the class, students with health risks will now receive a recommendation to take the class, which they can choose to follow or disregard, said Ashley Gabb, a spokeswoman for the college.</p>
<p>The faculty vote did not finalize the policy’s form, but for now, seniors who were already told to take the class should still expect to do so, said Ms. Gabb.</p>
<p>Before it was amended, the policy required students with body mass indexes of more than 30 points to take a one-credit class called “Fitness for Life.”</p>
<p>Body mass index (BMI) is a ratio calculated from a person’s height and weight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered to be “normal.” A person with a BMI of more than 30 is considered to be “obese.”</p>
<p>Lincoln University started measuring the BMIs and waists of incoming freshmen in 2006, when the policy was enacted. For the first time this fall, the requirement started to affect several seniors, some of whom were told they must add the course to their spring semester schedule if they hope to graduate.</p>
<p>“I don’t really want to spend my last semester taking a gym class,” said Allycia White, a 21-year-old senior who was informed that she needed to complete the requirement.</p>
<p>“I don’t think that it’s right,” she said. “I think that they shouldn’t discriminate based on the way people look or their weight.”</p>
<p>Mr. DeBoy said the policy was created because officials at the college are “painfully aware” of the obesity epidemic, and particularly of the health disparity between black and white communities.</p>
<p>“If we keep our head in the sand, ignore it, deny it, minimize it – then we are part of the problem,” he said, calling the college’s old policy a “bold and incredibly dramatic step.”</p>
<p>But even as the nation feels out the battle lines of a war on obesity, Lincoln’s requirement struck a strident chord, surprising some and angering others.</p>
<p>“I have not seen very many policies like this before,” said Rebecca Puhl, the director of research at Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.</p>
<p>Most Americans accept fitness requirements for some groups of people, such as military recruits, police officers and firefighters.</p>
<p>And many colleges have physical education requirements that require all students to run, swim, or tai-chi their way through a specified number of credits.</p>
<p>Students at Penn State must take 3 credits that fall under the umbrella of “health and physical activity.”</p>
<p>But by requiring the fitness class solely of obese students, Lincoln University dove into uncharted waters.</p>
<p>“It is without a doubt radical,” Mr. DeBoy said earlier this week. “That rubs a number of people the wrong way.”</p>
<p>Ms. Puhl said the old policy would have taken an “emotional toll” on the students who are singled out. “We have to remember that overweight and obese students are already really heavily stigmatized. There are a lot of places that really consider BMI protected health information.”</p>
<p>Lincoln University senior Antonio Leaks, 21, said the policy was unjust.</p>
<p>“Some people are just born with a large body mass index, and that’s the way it will be,” said Mr. Leaks, of Sacramento, Calif.</p>
<p>And Ayanna McNeill, 22, a recent graduate of Lincoln University who lives in Brooklyn, said the policy was “a little hypocritical,” noting that while she was at Lincoln, most cafeteria offerings were fattening and greasy.</p>
<p>Ms. Puhl, Mr. Leaks and Ms. McNeill all acknowledged that Lincoln’s intentions were good.</p>
<p>“I understand that they’re trying to tackle a health problem,” said Ms. McNeill.</p>
<p>But like many people who said the policy missed its mark, she said it would be more appropriate to require the class for all students, a suggestion that John Jakicic, chairman of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Health and Physical Activity, seconded.</p>
<p>Mr. Jakicic said that obesity is a growing problem for young adults.</p>
<p>“All universities and higher education institutions should consider what they can do to promote healthy lifestyles in these kids,” said Mr. Jakicic. “Just picking on the kids who are overweight probably isn’t the best.”</p>
<p>Mr. DeBoy said that Lincoln University initially chose to require the class of overweight students, instead of all students, because the college could not afford a broader policy.</p>
<p>“If we lived in an ideal world, we would have unlimited resources. We don’t,” he said.</p>