Lincoln University REQUIRES exercise to graduate!

In what was considered a groundbreaking decision, Lincoln University has proclaimed that all students with a BMI over 30 are REQUIRED to take a fitness class before graduating! What a novel concept!

The only potential problem I can foresee is that they shouldn’t limit the requirement to those with a higher BMI.  Why not make everyone take the course?  Students with a BMI of over 30 have already started complaining and there have even been complaints from those that won’t be required to take the course.  The complaints are just what you’d expect…..adults can make their own decisions….how can the school interfere  with the personal lives of it’s students….if students choose to be fat then let them be fat (not my words).

Yes, adults should be allowed to make their own decisions.  But think of all those people who smoke a pack a day and then sue the tobacco company when they get cancer.  At what point is an adult FULLY responsible for their health?  How can we say something is bad for you (actually prove that it can kill you) and then allow you to sue a company  when what we predicted would come true actually comes true?

The same holds true for obesity.  It’s been proven that obesity can lead to heart disease and  hypertension just to name a few.  In fact, obesity related illnesses costs us billions of dollars each year and shows no signs of stopping!

Okay, so we allow students to be whatever weight that they want.  What happens when they get sick from an obesity related illness….who pays the bill then?

I don’t know the answer here.  Certainly, I think everyone should be allowed to make their own decisions, but as we learn more about how our lifestyle affects our health, isn’t it reasonable to have people take precautions before it gets too late?

What do you think?

Medical Marijuana for Autism!

Yesterday I was in the airport and happened to notice that CNN was running a story on autism (usually there’s some type of sports event on and I couldn’t care less).   Since I know a few kids with autism, I decided it was worth a listen. What I heard was absolutely absurd!   CNN interviewed the mother of an autistic child who claimed that medical marijuana helps her son.  Then, this mother went on to say that any mother would do anything to  help her child.

I’m not a mother, so I can only imagine how painful it is to watch your child suffer from autism or anything else for that matter.  However, I think someone needs to get through to this mother fast!  As a mother, it’s her job to protect her child to the best of her ability. Unfortunately, this mother has chosen to make a decision for her son that will have negative long term effects on his life.

Let’s face it people, when you’re high you don’t feel anything – period!  Marijuana, medical or otherwise, doesn’t do anything but deaden your senses –  not to mention your brain cells.  In the long run, medical marijuana is a band aid that has long term consequences for frequent users.

What this mother is advocating is getting her child high so that SHE doesn’t have to deal with his situation. As a result, she’s setting a precedent for what could become a dangerous practice.  If medical marijuana is allowed to be used for autism, what will prevent mothers from using it for ADHD or any other number of conditions?

Can someone please call Child Protective Services!

Related Posts:  A Healthy Shift in Perspective