US: University students upset about fitness class

A Pennsylvania university's requirement that overweight undergraduates take a fitness course to receive their degrees has raised the hackles of students and the eyebrows of health and legal experts, writes Kathy Matheson for Associated Press.

Officials at historically black Lincoln University said that the school is simply concerned about high rates of obesity and diabetes, especially in the African-American community.
"We know we're in the midst of an obesity epidemic," said James L DeBoy, chairman of Lincoln's department of health, physical education and recreation. "We have an obligation to address this head on, knowing full well there's going to be some fallout."

The fallout began this month on Lincoln's campus about 45 miles southwest of Philadelphia, where seniors - the first class affected by the mandate - began realising their last chance to take the class would be this spring.
Full report on the Associated Press site