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 Can You be too Fat to be Appointed Surgeon General?
Location: BlogsCII InfoBlog    
Posted by: larryc 7/23/2009 8:10 AM

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Much has been made in the media lately regarding President Obama’s pick for the next Surgeon General, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, and whether it’s appropriate to nominate an overweight individual for this position, especially in light of the national epidemic of obesity.
 
The criticism feels a bit ridiculous to me. This is a woman who is a highly qualified physician, someone who has dedicated her life to providing care to her patients. She is also the recipient of a MacArthur Grant for setting up a medical clinic for the poor in Katrina-ravaged Alabama. Why are we so concerned with what she weighs? Is there any real evidence that her weight undermines her credibility?
 
The truth is, a person can be fit and still overweight. Last year, the New York Times published a blog written by Tara Parker-Pope in which she referenced national health data collected from 5,440 adults. The results showed that many overweight and even obese people are metabolically healthy, while large numbers of slim people have health problems typically associated with obesity. Weight is not always a reliable barometer for health, and yet we seem to be obsessed with it.
A blog posted by Laurie at Punk Rock Human Resources asks a couple of important questions, “is being thin a bona fide occupational qualification for Surgeon General? Is it a bona fide occupational qualification for any job?”

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