The internet was buzzing with news after President Barack Obama nominated Regina Benjamin, a physician from Alabama, to be our next surgeon general. Some articles reported the facts of the nomination and the speeches that followed. Many listed Dr. Benjamin’s credentials: she studied at Morehouse and the Alabama School of Medicine; started a family practice in a fishing village in Alabama; got her MBA at Tulane; and converted her practice to a medical clinic for the poor. In her clinic, if patients could not pay, she treated them for free. Hurricanes George and Katrina twice destroyed the clinic, and she went into debt to rebuild it. As she went through this journey, she was awarded the title of one of Time Magazine’s “50 Future Leaders, Age 40 and Under” and won a MacArthur “genius” grant. (Just to name two of her many accolades). These articles certainly shed light on what appears to be a dedicated professional who goes above and beyond the call of duty.

However, not all reports were positive. While some were applauding her nomination, others were not as pleased. The debate on a candidate usually focuses on the person’s qualifications which a few people did express concerns about, citing her lack of experience for a post of this stature. A couple individuals also commented that they suspect her nomination was due to race and not her qualifications. However, the majority of online articles discussing why Dr. Benjamin should not be confirmed for this position settled solely on her “shape”. One such article entitled, “Is Regina Benjamin Too Fat to be Surgeon General?” discusses the fact that critics within the community believe that the individual who will be in charge of the “War on Obesity” should not appear to have an issue with weight herself. The debate rages on about Dr. Benjamin’s need to lose weight, and about individuals’ refusal to let fat be socially acceptable.

We at the Center for Eating Disorders are saddened that despite tremendous education in the community, there is still so much more work to be done. People clearly remain convinced that there is only one body type that all Americans should aspire to be. Have we forgotten that people come in all shapes and sizes? Genetically, each person is built to be different; some individuals are created to be shorter, taller, smaller, or larger. The misperception that size equates with health and is a measure of one’s competence is a longstanding prejudice.

As a matter a fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Obesity (June 2009) looked at the body mass index of Canadians (11,326 individuals aged 25 or older) in the 1994-95 National Population Health Survey. They followed up with these individuals 12 years later to find that the risk of death was significantly higher for people who were underweight or very obese, but that overweight people actually had a significantly lower risk of death. In fact, it is thought that being overweight may serve as a protective factor against mortality.  Previous studies have produced similar results, but this was the largest study of its kind to date.

Clearly, this information highlights that it is time to rethink our automatic associations between size and health.  We at The Center for Eating Disorders urge that the nomination of Regina Benjamin be evaluated solely on her credentials and accomplishments and not on her size or body type.

Do you have thoughts on this issue? Join in on the discussion on our discussion board!