by Devin Keller

Created on: July 23, 2009   Last Updated: July 24, 2009

I suppose a more important question would be whether being overweight would have an impact on the surgeon general's ability to do their job effectively. Given the respnsibility of the surgeon as America's cheif health educator, I would suggest that being overweight does matter.

Today, there are many safeguards built into federal, state, and local laws to help prevent discrimination. Without getting into the semantics of what discrimination means, let's just say that in consideration for a job, most of us expect to be evaluated solely based on our ability to complete the tasks outlined in the job description, and nothing more. In general, physical characteristics are left out unless a job demands physical exertion that could pose a health risk.

The position of Surgeon General is rather unique. It requres two core competencies. First, the candidate must have an understanding of medicine, public health, and lifestyles that promote health (generally achieved through education and experience). Second, it requires the ability to communicate such complex concepts to people with varying degrees of education and diverse backagrounds.

Whereas the first element can be measured by examining the candidate's practical experiences, the second requires the use of more abstract concepts to make an effective measure of qualification. It is simply not enough to gauge one's ability to verbally communicate complex concepts (a somewhat tangible characteristic), but we must also measure how people respond to this information. It is the latter that truly lies at the crux of this arguement.

There is no mistaking the fact that the candidate for surgeon general is significantly overweight. Without knowing her exact weight, I can only suggest that she falls into the category of obese, more than twenty pounds outside a healthy body weight. Such a condition results from the practice of poor lifestyle habits, possibly including lack of exercise, poor eating, or a combination of both.

Other factors could contribute as well. The point of the matter is that she does have control of her choices and is thus making a decision to accept being overweight. This doesn't make her a bad person or take away from her credentials as a medical professional. However, these aren't the only components of the debate.

I would like to suggest to those old enough, to revisit the eighties when C. Everett Koop was surgeon general. Perhaps one of the things he was most known for was his placement of warnings

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