Your Lifestyle: Whose Choice Is It?

A few days ago, I wrote a mini-rant on the fact that my kids' school has banned all food and drink from classrooms (except water) in the name of helping kids make healthier choices. My argument was that removing the choice doesn't teach kids how to make a choice. Interestingly, opinion from readers was divided between those who felt that they should be in control of what their kids eat and those who felt that restricting choice teaches kids to crave what's denied them -- and to eat those things in secret.

Ultimately, we all have to learn to make our own choices. But I couldn't help thinking about this conversation when I read this AP story about students at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. The gist? According to the story, the university is requiring overweight students (according to their BMI) to take a class called "Fitness for Life" in order to receive their degrees. Students with a BMI of 30 or above are being required to take the class, according to the AP.

Like the new policy at my kids' school, this feels like a case of good intentions gone too far.

Yes, we want to teach children to make healthy choices. Yes, we want to encourage people to exercise. But shame and restriction should never be part of that process. For me, balance and moderation are the keys to learning to live a healthy lifestyle. And sometimes, finding balance results from being out of balance for a time.

I applaud the university's teaching of the course. I even applaud making it a required class. But, please...make it a requirement for everyone. After all, people of "normal" weight -- and even those who are underweight -- can be just as guilty of making unhealthy choices as someone whose BMI classifies them as obese.

Comments

[Courtney L]

I'm waiting for the follow-up article in which Lincoln University is the defendant in a class-action lawsuit. This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard on the fat-shaming front. I could understand if they required the course for all students, but to only require it for students at a high BMI is discrimination. (It's also idiotic, since BMI is a lousy health indicator. Even the inventor of the formula stated that it should not be used as a measure of the health of an individual. It was designed as a social science tool.)

I also cringe at the idea that the school is gathering information on student's BMI's in the first place. This is a dangerous precedent. If a school can make graduation requirements basedon BMI, how long until you have to enter your BMI on a job application? Or until a company only gives raises to people below a certain BMI?

[Jami]

Ug, I'm not the lawsuit type, but if I went to that school you can be sure I'd be suing! Why is it that it's okay to be bigoted against us fat people? Not all of us "just need diet and excercise." One of my mom's friends was 400 pounds and couldn't lose weight. Doctors accused her of sneak eating and everything. Turns out she had a tumor wrapped around her thyroid. Kind of hard to lose weight in that situation.

I have to agree on the "if you take away their choices they're more likely to binge eat" thought. That's why I came to the conclusion I can never give up all sweets like my mom keeps insisting I do. Because when I've tried, I always ended up sneaking it - right down to eating sugar straight! I'd take a scoop full and pour it straight into my mouth.

Anyway, no one ever stops to consider that a lot of those "healthy" things aren't good for everyone. I'm allergic to a lot of the stuff doctors want us to eat. Like whole grains especially whole wheat. I'm also allergic to artifical sweeteners - so I have to use real sugar. Why do they never figure food allergies into the equation? (God, I hope I spelled that right.)

As for BMI - I just have one memory attached to it I felt like sharing. In jr. high back when I was 145 instead of my whopping 245 I am now, we went through that embarassing proceedure and when I looked like I was about to cry, the gym teacher looked up at me and said, "Most girls come in here way under what they should be. I actually prefer to see them above the BMI then way below it." Made me feel a lot better.

[Alyssa]

This is completely insane!!!! Do they know that A LOT of people develop eating disorders while in college? (I certainly did.) This is certainly NOT going to help.
And how is it the business of college administrators to monitor the weight of the students?!?!?!
I just want to echo Courtney and Jami: this is a VERY slippery slope, and those so-called "healthy" foods? Yeah, not so much. (I was on Jenny Craig a few years ago, and have never had to eat so much processed, nutrient-free crud in my life.)