The United States Declaration of Independence enshrines the right to “the pursuit of happiness.” Yet for Americans who interpret that as the right to eat as many doughnuts as one desires, or for Americans who simply inherit larger body types, obtaining a degree from Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University is an inexcusably unhappy pursuit.
The university requires students to take body mass index (BMI) tests, and those who score above 30 must take a special health class in order to graduate. This is highly inappropriate and discriminatory. If a student succeeds academically and has no outstanding fees, that should be reason enough to hand over a diploma. People who are overweight face enough ridicule as is; shunting them into a special fat class only legitimises existing intolerance.
Even if Lincoln University has the health of its students in mind, this policy is misguided. The BMI is no gold standard for evaluating health. Obesity often correlates with poor health but it is not always the cause. And it is entirely possible for an individual with a BMI of more than 30 to be healthier and in better shape than someone with a lower ranking. The BMI has been largely discredited among health professionals for such reasons. Likewise, this policy ignores other indicators of ill health, such as low levels of physical activity and poor nutrition. The university also fails to distinguish between students with generally desirable BMI rankings and those with dangerously low levels. Apparently, the university disapproves of obesity, but anorexia is A-OK.
Lincoln University is traditionally a black university, so by keeping willing students from graduating simply due to weight, the policy harms the advancement of African-Americans and the United States in general.
If the university really wants to help its overweight students, health classes should indeed be available, but not as a barrier between students and their hard-earned degrees.