I Am What I Chew

Want a diploma? Lose the fat first.

Should colleges be allowed to deny diplomas to students who are overweight?  CNN reports that a college in Pennsylvania is refusing to graduate students with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 29 unless they take a fitness course 3 hours a week.  Surprise, surprise–this has caused a bit of controversy.

As a born-again fitness nut, I applaud the intention, but the way the college is going about ensuring their graduates are fit is all wrong.  Why not just make the fitness course a mandatory class for all students?  That way, no one feels singled out for their physical attributes, something the administration has no business trying to regulate.

The law is tilting toward protecting employment rights of the overweight.  It is now considered discriminatory to refuse to hire someone just because they are overweight.  Of course, an employer can always offer a trumped-up reason.  There is a long, shameful history of this practice used to deny employment or housing to people of color.

There were no rights for chubbies  back in 1973, when I was applying for my first post-graduation job as a clerk at a hospital. (I had majored in anthropology, rendering myself unemployable except for my ability to type).

I spent 30 minutes filling out the comprehensive application form and handed it to the HR person,  She took one look at it and handed it back.  “I’m afraid you don’t meet our height-weight ratio,” she said.  At the time, I was 30 pounds overweight and couldn’t hide it.  Why-WHY?-didn’t she save me the half hour and the humiliation by telling  me the position had been filled?  There are times when a little fib is the kind thing to do.  I hung my head and slunk out the door.  Back home, I tried to drown my sorrow in Little Debbies. The shame hindered my dieting efforts for years.

Have  you ever faced discrimination because of your weight?

It helps to talk about it.