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As a form of exercise, body-building is driven by one goal: to make a person look good. When a body-builder is judged, they are judged on aesthetic appeal, not on prowess. There are many many forms of exercise, and certainly physical education should be compulsory - and there can even be opportunity for body-building to take place.

As a compulsory subject in itself, however, it is fraught with problems. Bodybuilding is not the best choice of exercise in terms of health benefits, nor is it the easiest exercise to do. Students should learn to enjoy exercise, which is far more likely to happen with events such as swimming or playing a team sport.

Body building also encourages competitiveness over physical appearance - high schools are already full of cruel jibes about people with less than perfect bodies, to create a compulsory subject where the end goal is to 'look good' would simply add fuel to the fire.

The best way to teach people to be healthy is to teach them the benefits of exercise, and to encourage them to walk instead of drive, dance, move, play sports, swim and run.

The motivation behind bodybuilding has never been to be healthy. The end result has little do with strength, or athletic prowess, and far more to do with being covered in oil and posing on a stage. There is a narcissistic element to the sport that does not belong in a school environment.

So no... bodybuilding should not be made compulsory.

Learn more about this author, Suzanne Fleming.
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