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Are there jobs where your weight should matter? Obviously if you can't squeeze down the aisles, you might not make a great flight attendant, but what if you're in reasonably good health and capable of doing the job?President Obama has nominated Regina Benjamin for Surgeon General, but instead of people being totally psyched about her MacArthur genius award, her impressive charitable works, or her down-to-earth working-class background, everybody is trying to guess her BMI. Some people think a country plagued with obesity should not have an obese person representing our nation's health care.
Still, we don't remember anyone throwing this argument at all those husky surgeon generals who happened to be male. If C. Everett Koop could be in charge of the nation's health-care system while doing an amazing impression of a Civil War surgeon, should we really care about Benjamin's few extra pounds?
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Thursday 16 July
By Maureen Jeanson
Well--it is important to keep in mind the American College of Sports Medicine defines a woman to be obese in Dr. Benjamin's age category as being over 35% body fat. So I can see where she would be considered over weight however, being overweight does not mean the same thing as being of poor health.
Perhaps this is an excellent choice as Dr Benjamin can relate to the struggle to be healthy in the world today when the markets are flooded with poor choices for food--perhaps this will motivate change in health criteria for the nation!
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Monday 20 July
By jfay
You must be fat, too.
Monday 20 July
By marry
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Monday 20 July
By cd
yah...ok...what do you think she's eating? must be healthy whole foods...that's how she got fat...right....if you're fat, you're not healthy...i'm fat and even I know this.......call it what it is..............
Monday 20 July
By Newark
What she should have been rejected for is support of abortion
Monday 20 July
By Nancy
I couldn't have said it better myself! I know Dr. Benjamin, I had her as our family doctor for a long time! We love her and she loves taking care of people! All people, white, black, yellow, poor or rich, young and old, fat or skinny, oh yea those who can pay her and even those who can't! If any human should be cloned it should be her, because I know that she will end our health crisis. She is heaven sent! Pleople in glass house should not throw stones!
Monday 20 July
By Barbara Huff
Perhaps this could be an opportunity for her to lead as an example losing weight and eating wisely and exercising. I think a lot of people would identify with her and understand the problems of maintaining a healthy weight.
Monday 20 July
By RJ
35% overweight or 30% overweight is called "morbidly" obese for a reason. I can't believe what we do to the numbers to make it fit our beliefs. Overweight = overweight, a little, a lot, a whole lot. It costs this country a lot of $$ in medical expenses, lost productivity, etc. etc. etc. - and that is indisuputable. So don't tell me she is "healthy". There are a lot of fat, smoking docs out there that provide excellent health care .... they just don't take care of themselves. Lead by example - that works for me. Someone elsewhere noted they are vegetarian and fat and I know a vegan who is human who is fat and has a lot of health problems as a result. Overweight = fat = fat = overweight....what else can you call it ? PC - weight challenged :-) ha !
Monday 20 July
By ggggggggg
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Monday 20 July
By Devonna Simmons
This is the best comment that I have read on the entire board! You hit the nail on the head with this on, girl!
Monday 20 July
By krm
I think we all have missed the mark...the article itself is focusing on the wrong issue. We assume because she has be recommended by the President she is the perfect choice. But there is a skeleton in her closet that no one bothered to mention. Although she comes well equipped in many ways they missed the biggest issue for most people of my time. She is pro-abortion and that is not something the surgeon general should tout. The medical profession is there to help return people to good health and a longer life and not take away the right to life for unborn children. And if abortion beocmes common place in the world then who is next the sick, elderly and then those we just don't value anymore. Please be care and consider the truth in these political times. They are very important and will make a difference in all of our lives.
Prayerfully praying for honest and moral political leadership.
krm
Monday 20 July
By Cathy
I agree. She can be a beacon to those who struggle with weight.
Monday 20 July
By CARROLL GREEN
I THINK SOME REPORTERS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE BAD THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE SHOULD GO GET A JOB....
FIND SOMETHING GOOD IN THE WORLD...
GO CLEAN A PARK OR SOMETHING....
Monday 20 July
By paulmako22
I do think that a person should represent the position they are in. She needs to lose weight. Also they are trying to make the military a smoke free enviroment. How can the government do that? Is this part of the National Health Progam? Right or wrong it is still an indiviual right. Why does'n anybody talk about Obama's smoking addiction
Monday 20 July
By sutongott
I think it is wrong to appoint a black as the Surgeon General because acording to the AMA blacks have a higher mortality rate than whites.
Monday 20 July
By mark
Over weight does equal poor health. those who do not think so need to do a little more research.
Monday 20 July
By Georgine J. O'Connor
Perhaps it would be a good time to loose some weight and to get other members of the public to do the same. As a doctor she could plan a program, diet and exercise that would work for her as well as the rest of us who need to shead a few pounds. The diet program could/should include the younger members of our county who are overweight and who eat junk food. In this way her being appointed as Surgeon General could/would make a difference to all.
Thanks for listening.
Monday 20 July
By BJ
she is a terrible example=but if she is Obama's pick then I'm not surprised.
Monday 20 July
By Rick
Well, The new President smokes and now we get a obese Surgeon General...I guess progressive liberals get to decide what is important and what isn't. Free markets, no way, nanny state welfare for those who should provide for themselves, no way, nationalized corporate America, absolutely! And lets not forget that we should be riding bikes and living in overcrowded conditions without the right of property ownership so we can 'fix' the environment. The big problem is, the government shouldn't be in any of these discussions, but what they have created is a divide in America where if they believe understanding, compassion and direct intervention is waranted, as long as you are the right race and sex, then the tax payers, there are only about 40% left, get hammered and people who make bad choices, as long as they fit the progressive agenda, well then that should be off limits. Great country.
Monday 20 July
By jeff
Be serious, its like having an addict as the drug czar. Exactly like that. She may be a great person, its the behavior thats wrong. A sane country cannot have an obese surgeon general. Why not a chain smoker--- oops he's the president. Why not a peodphile, ooops he just died and was sainted by the idiots who attended. Where has any intelligent thought process gone to in this country?? We now reflect far less intelligent a society than 40 years ago when we landed on the moon,. and, had an appropriate public image as the surgeon general I bet. Why do we have to go backwards as a country? We are in a serious decline, forget about global warming, worry about global stupidity it will kill us far faster.