Pa college requires overweight students to take fitness class

    By Megan Kole

    Overweight students at a Pennsylvania college have just one more semester to take a fitness class if they want to graduate this spring.

    By Megan Kole

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    Overweight students at a Pennsylvania college have just one more semester to take a fitness class if they want to graduate this spring.

    Three years ago Lincoln University, a historically black college in Chester County, announced that all obese students would be required to take a class that teaches healthy living before they could graduate.

    Michael Sachs with Temple University’s College of Health Professions says the class could work, but just targeting overweight students sends wrong message.

    Sachs: Just because one is at a healthy weight may just be a combination of good genes and reasonable eating patterns, but it doesn’t mean your eating in a healthy manner number one and It doesn’t mean your fit or in shape at all either.

    The new rule was enacted in 2006 and next years graduating class will be the first affected. Lincoln University officials say about 80 students have not yet met the requirement.

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