Posted on 07/22/2009 1:55:35 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Critics of Mr Obama's choice of Dr Benjamin as America's new top doctor have highlighted the awkward fact that while eminently qualified she is also overweight and her new job will involve encouraging her countrymen to lead healthier lives.
Disparaging online comments following her introduction at the White House last week have been supported by medical specialists questioning her credibility as a health advocate in a country where 34 per cent of over-20s are obese.
"We want to influence young people to live a healthy lifestyle and be physically active and eat healthy food," said Lillie Shockney, director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Breast Centre.
Acknowledging that Dr Benjamin's weight was not "horrific" or "over the top", she added: "I want an image of wellness [as surgeon general] because young people will hear her better if she is practising what we expect her to preach."
Marcia Angell, a lecturer at Harvard University Medical School, told ABC News: "At a time when a lot of public health concern is about the national epidemic of obesity, having a surgeon general who is noticeably overweight raises questions in people's minds."
A doctor commenting on a medical blog said Dr Benjamin looked obese, with a body mass index of over 30, if not a morbidly obese rate of over 40.
One commentator estimated she would take at least a British size 20 in clothes.
Sarah Reed, another family doctor, who said she kept her own BMI at 19, said: "I am disappointed that Dr Regina Benjamin is obese. Obesity is the number one problem in my own practice and I make it a very high priority to lead by example.
"Although her credentials speak for themselves, her weight cannot be overlooked. Shame on her!"
Jenny Backus, a spokesman for the Department
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
FMCDH(BITS)
Meh. Maybe she and Megan McCain can take some Pilates classes together.
Well it’s not that tubby.
Evidently her pro-abortness makes her fit enough in the eyes of our king.
Do as I SAY not as I DO.
“Big Mama?”””
Yo!! Dudes..she weighs less than Jocelyn Elders, and we all know how well that appointment turned out..
no, zumba!
This is ridiculous ... I don’t give a d*mn what the woman weighs. What I DO care about is that, from what I have read, we have promoted a good and kind country doctor with no administrative or policy experience to be the expert on health policy in the US. Typical liberal “good intentions trump actual experience” thinking.
If my experience is any guide, it’s quite common for middle aged black women to be overweight.
Not everyone has thin genes. She has a high stress job and probably little energy left to jog 5 miles a day.
People ought to give her a break. It is really stupid to think that the public will decide it’s healthy to be obese because of Dr. Benjamin’s size.
Come to think of it, this is probably a diversionary tactic “Let’s talk about her weight and hope people will overlook that she has no qualifications”.
That said, it might be inspirational of her to announce a fitness program and let the nation track her progress along that path.
Don’t be callin’ her thickness obese or a weight problem. Girl has some meat on her bones, that’s all.
Laz would hit it.
As would BJ Clinton.
I’ve lost 70 pounds since two years ago, from 245 to 175 lbs, and I’m a 6’1” male.
Fifty of those pounds were lost by portion control, not exercise.
When I confessed to being a glutton, it helped me to realize how to lose weight.
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