Too Fat for the Boy Scouts?
The following piece was sent to dietbus.com from a former visitor. Thanks.
"The Boy Scouts of America have been criticized for not openly embracing gays, atheists and agnostics. But now the Scouts have revised an existing policy that may rankle another group: The obese.
Under new requirements set to take effect next January, both children and adults must meet height and weight standards for certain “high adventure” or extreme events, such as a 15-mile trek, for which medical care might be more than 30 minutes away. That means a six-foot tall scout or volunteer, for example, must weigh 239 pounds or less.
Some say the guidelines, designed to protect the health and safety of participants, are long overdue. Physical fitness isn’t just part of the Oath; it’s something adults should model and children should strive for. Moreover, the policy won’t affect most regular activities, and there’s plenty of time to drop weight before next January.
But some self-described obese volunteers feel betrayed by the standards, according to the comments on scouting Web sites. And at least one weight loss expert doesn’t understand the logic.
“Why not insist on...something that would actually measure cardiovascular fitness?” wondered Dr. Daniel Kirschenbaum, clinical director of Wellspring in Chicago, which runs weight loss camps, after school programs and academies across the country.
“Studies on obese adults show about 9 percent are in pretty good shape from a cardiovascular standpoint,” he said.
Scott Tollefson, who said his 6-foot, 3-inch son weighs 265 pounds (5 pounds over the limit) with 5-percent body fat, has a better idea: Hold the national leaders to the same standard. “There would be a lot fewer pudgy SUV riders in attendance (at the National Jamboree) if we did,” he posted on boyandgirlscouts.com."
