Imagine your university demanded that you exercise, log a pre-determined number of steps each day and attain a heartbeats-per-minute goal. Oh, and your professors are able to see this information, as well as when and where you exercise, how many calories you burn, when you sleep and how much you weigh. It’s all in the name of science, right?Hmm… don’t think so.
Oral Roberts University recently began requiring freshmen to wear a Fitbit to track their daily aerobic activity. The Fitbit tracking replaces the school’s old end-of-semester test in which students had to run 1.5 miles. According to ORU, they hope to use the Fitbit findings to better track the correlation between fitness levels and academic success. ORU has included a physical component in its curriculum for years, with students previously required to manually record their aerobic activity. Now, the Fitbit will do it for them.
For many of us (regardless of whether or not we have personally struggled with an eating disorder) this idea seems downright destructive and a direct path to disastrous consequences. For example, what about students who over-exercise? Many ED sufferers have a compulsive need to exercise for copious amounts of time. What’s going to happen when professors see this information? Will it be praised or will it be a red flag?
Another concern is that the Fitbit requirement may encourage comparisons among students. College is already a stressful time, with students comparing grades, looks and popularity. The Fitbit requirement adds fuel to the fire by encouraging physical activity comparisons as well. Ultra-competitive students may feel the need to “be better than” other students, developing an unhealthy relationship with exercise.
Besides, how do you grade health? Health looks different on everyone…
To continue reading this piece from our partner, Proud2BMe, click here.
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