Some students at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania are going to need more than just a… Some students at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania are going to need more than just a sufficient GPA and fulfilled course requirements for their majors to graduate: They’re going to have to take a fitness class.

Officials at the historically black university said they were concerned about obesity and diabetes in the black community, and they felt a fitness class could help curb these detriments among students.

The University began requiring current seniors to have their Body Mass Indexes tested to determine those who must take the three-hour-per-week fitness class, “Fitness for Life,” according to the Associated Press. As a normal BMI measures between 18.5 and 24.9, those with BMIs greater than 30 have to take the course. In addition to physical activities such as aerobics and weight training, the class will also teach about nutrition, stress and sleep.

At first this class seems a very proactive measure to help improve students’ health. However, it also unabashedly discriminates against obese students without recognizing the more universal appeal and benefit such a class could provide.

Having a higher BMI isn’t necessarily a clear-cut indicator of poor health. Some athletes, for example, have an above-average BMI because of their increased muscle mass. Lincoln should have offered much more comprehensive health examinations before selecting the students required to take the course.

Part of a college education involves preparing students for the real world, and this shouldn’t be limited to academics. Sure, most colleges offer a range of on-campus gymnasiums — Pitt, for example, has at least one fitness facility within short distance of each dorm. Also, most schools offer intramural sports clubs and activities, but students could benefit from a formal health education class.

The fitness class Lincoln proposed is an innovative idea, and other college students could benefit from such class, albeit it shouldn’t be initiated under the insensitive qualifier as a program meant to get fat kids in shape.

At this point in their lives, most college students know the basics of good health: exercise and a healthy diet. However, some don’t know specificities, and such a class could better attune students to new exercises — and, of course, their benefits — and provide real, concrete knowledge on nutrition. College life isn’t often synonymous with healthy lifestyles, as students often struggle to eat properly amid cramming meals between classes and too often overlook adequate exercise. High schools largely require physical education and health classes, so cursory health classes wouldn’t be something college students aren’t already used to.

It would be difficult for every college in the nation to implement such a program, but some schools have a head start as far as resources. Pitt, for example, could use those enrolled in the Graduate School of Public Health to serve as instructors for an undergraduate class.

Pitt’s list of general education requirements for the School of Arts and Sciences is already diverse — students have to take classes in creative expression, foreign culture and philosophy, to name a few. A health and fitness course wouldn’t be a radical addition or one without merit.