Should Fat Kids Get A's In PhysEd? (university, school, scholarship)

[Mattie]

And I'm certain my middle son wouldn't meet the OP's criteria for slimness. But, he was a state weightlifting champion and starting varsity football player in high school.

Since all the coaches teach PE, the players got an A just for showing up to class.

[seattlenextyear]

Oprah is currently sitting atop her piles of money, laughing at the OP.

[charolastra00]

PE is a lot like band. Some people are naturally athletic or musical, and others aren't. The latter should still be exposed to athletics and music, but some may enjoy it but will never have natural talent. I was an above average clarinet player, but I was never going to be the best - no matter how many hours I practiced (and I practiced about 2 hours after school every day - much more than some of the top players). I got As because I participated, not because I was technically superior.

Academic courses like calculus are different because you are placed in the appropriate level of math and other core classes (ie regular vs honors vs AP vs special ed) to suit your skillset. People take PE because they have to (and they should) but in reality, half an hour a day isn't going to change much.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by marigolds6

I had a BMI of nearly 30 in high school. Obese by any measure.
I also ran a 5:15 mile, could do 25+ pullups, 100 pushups, was athlete of the year in our section for my sport, all-state, and got picked as one of the top 10 scholar-athletes in California.
Fat people can do very well in PE.

I was overweight in high school too (still am to a lesser degree), but was also coming off nearly 10 years of competitive figure skating and dance - hence the weight gain, since it's quite a shock to go from 3-5 hours/day of intense workouts to barely anything like THAT. So while I may have appeared to be "incapable of acing PE," I was an athlete underneath and could run circles around most of the skinny kids! I most certainly deserved my A's in PE, especially considering I spent some time on the tennis & swim teams.

Oh, and a few of you mentioned football players? My man used to play defensive end for the NFL, and during his career (in the '90s) he was 6'5" & 285lbs... yet somehow managed to make Rookie of the Year, and eventually took home a Super Bowl ring. He now weighs a little over 300lbs, and could probably still crush the OP in athletic competitions - well, if his bum knee isn't acting up that day.

[gizmo980]

P.S. How do you know that particular school's PE requirements, and/or the kid's personal story? For all you know he has a medical condition, and was exempted from PE through high school... usually a few of those in every school, and they're still entitled to make valedictorian. Come to think of it, the valedictorian one year ahead of my class (in high school) had Muscular Dystrophy. Hmmmm.

[lkb0714]

Originally Posted by HansProof

First, there is no such thing as junk food, only oversized portions. And second, I'm just saying the bar should be held even. If gym is going to be graded on effort, so should everything else, right? You can deny it barely has anything to do with life, but in the end, it has everything to do with it.

Hard work doesn't get rewarded, only results. That is the real world.

And that the rope test wouldn't be fair? My whole point is that it isn't fair...the way it should be.

We need to stop the watering down of grades. Fat kid getting an A in gym just watered down the grade of every track athlete in the school. A complete slap in the face to every athlete who has spilt blood and tears for athletic excellence. Maybe every jock should get an A in every advanced math and language course. You know, to be "fair." Why even study...everyone gets an A.

I will go slow since by your own admission you aren't the brightest bulb. First, 1/4 of most PE programs are usually health class. There are typically tests for that portion.

Next, there are also usually tests in PE which count for anywhere between 25-50% of the grade, depending on the individual program. Add to that the participation grade, which many academic courses have (i.e. lab classes) again percentage will vary. Finally many PE programs do grade te results of PRT tests but obviously this student did well enough that that usually smaller percentage did not keep him back.

Finally, I understand that you are not claiming to be of average intelligence even, but yes there do exist "junk" foods. Typically any food that is calorie dense, has more than 30% fat and little to no nutritional value is a junk food. Doesn't mean it can not be incorporated into an otherwise healthy lifestyle now and then but it also doesn't mean you will be health if you eat only them and watch "portion size". Truly stupid comment.

[lkb0714]

Originally Posted by HansProof

Reread that and stop seeing what you want to see.

Listen chum, I am not the one who got a C in Calc I (or II or III or IIII ). My reading comprehension skills are fine. So maybe you should reread it. And before you go assuming I am. 5' "cankle" girl, I am a life long surfer, I am sure with your Reese's Puffs level of lifestyle you understand how it is one of the best workouts out there.

Personally, I suspect this fat kid has more to contribute to the world than you do and you realize it. Even you must know that this kid could go to
The gym and be ten times the person you appear to be but unfortunately nothing you do will make you smart.

[TabulaRasa]

I sincerely doubt that the grading criteria has anything to do with maintaining a certain weight or BMI.

[HansProof]

Well this post has reduced itself to just a lot of grasping of straws and "what in the world...what lol?" assuming in a desperate attempt to form any kind of legitimate opinions.

First, a person's BMI means near nothing because it doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat. One of the most useless tests out there.

Second, what is considered junk food is actually the best food...hence why it tastes good. It taste good because back in our hunter/gatherer days, those foods were extremely beneficial yet rare. Sugars, fats, salts, etc. Cholesterol is one of the most important substances in our body. Who knows what it actually does? Everything? No one ever eluded that it should be the only food one eats nor survives on. Maybe if we had better PE classes the ignorance wouldn't run so rampant here. A "balanced diet" (if anyone here actually knows what that is) is the key. I eat most my carbs in the morning, so what? Two servings of Reese's Puffs and I'm still under 250 calories for the meal. I don't ravage the box like a rabid emotionally compulsive eater. My blood pressure is perfect...my cholesterol is perfect despite having two egg yolks every other day. Why is that? Calories are only "empty" if you don't use them.

So what are we preparing kids for, diabetes at 19? Just because there is some niche sport's position glorifying fatness doesn't make it healthy. You do realize the position's entire objective is to be as unmovable as possible

Besides the obvious health benefits of PE (ours was a mandatory 1hr a day, every other day till the 11th grade) (thank god rural schools know how to do it right) the even more valuable lesson of life failure can be taken from it. I may be wrong in the eyes of most here but I believe more in turning out well-rounded individuals from our schools rather than excepting the "well, he'll never use it" defeatist mindset. I'm successful in life but I doubt I use anything past 8th grade math, if that. Why even learn algebra, trig., calculus? Hell, I knew back then I would never use it. Have a forgotten most of it? Probably. Did I hate doing it at the time? Of course. Do I regret any of it. Absolutely not!!! Why...because even know I may have forgotten a lot of it, I can't argue that simply going through it has developed my mind for better analytical reasoning for which I utilized daily, hourly.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by HansProof

First, there is no such thing as junk food, only oversized portions. And second, I'm just saying the bar should be held even. If gym is going to be graded on effort, so should everything else, right? You can deny it barely has anything to do with life, but in the end, it has everything to do with it.

Hard work doesn't get rewarded, only results. That is the real world.

And that the rope test wouldn't be fair? My whole point is that it isn't fair...the way it should be.

We need to stop the watering down of grades. Fat kid getting an A in gym just watered down the grade of every track athlete in the school. A complete slap in the face to every athlete who has spilt blood and tears for athletic excellence. Maybe every jock should get an A in every advanced math and language course. You know, to be "fair." Why even study...everyone gets an A.

You don't know how they grade PE at that school. You don't know if it's pass/fail, or what.

I'll let the junk food comment go. Someone else gave a pretty good answer, though I will agree there is no specific "nutritional" definition of the word. It's a word made up by the media.

Originally Posted by HansProof

Well this post has reduced itself to just a lot of grasping of straws and "what in the world...what lol?" assuming in a desperate attempt to form any kind of legitimate opinions.

First, a person's BMI means near nothing because it doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat. One of the most useless tests out there.

Second, what is considered junk food is actually the best food...hence why it tastes good. It taste good because back in our hunter/gatherer days, those foods were extremely beneficial yet rare. Sugars, fats, salts, etc. Cholesterol is one of the most important substances in our body. Who knows what it actually does? Everything? No one ever eluded that it should be the only food one eats nor survives on. Maybe if we had better PE classes the ignorance wouldn't run so rampant here. A "balanced diet" (if anyone here actually knows what that is) is the key. I eat most my carbs in the morning, so what? Two servings of Reese's Puffs and I'm still under 250 calories for the meal. I don't ravage the box like a rabid emotionally compulsive eater. My blood pressure is perfect...my cholesterol is perfect despite having two egg yolks every other day. Why is that? Calories are only "empty" if you don't use them.

So what are we preparing kids for, diabetes at 19? Just because there is some niche sport's position glorifying fatness doesn't make it healthy. You do realize the position's entire objective is to be as unmovable as possible

Besides the obvious health benefits of PE (ours was a mandatory 1hr a day, every other day till the 11th grade) (thank god rural schools know how to do it right) the even more valuable lesson of life failure can be taken from it. I may be wrong in the eyes of most here but I believe more in turning out well-rounded individuals from our schools rather than excepting the "well, he'll never use it" defeatist mindset. I'm successful in life but I doubt I use anything past 8th grade math, if that. Why even learn algebra, trig., calculus? Hell, I knew back then I would never use it. Have a forgotten most of it? Probably. Did I hate doing it at the time? Of course. Do I regret any of it. Absolutely not!!! Why...because even know I may have forgotten a lot of it, I can't argue that simply going through it has developed my mind for better analytical reasoning for which I utilized daily, hourly.

There are a few athletes whose BMIs don't really reflect their true situations. However, for the rest of us, BMI is a pretty good tool.