French Diet Guru Promotes Grade Inflation Based on Students’ BMIs
Pierre Dukan is a diet guru from France who created The Dukan Diet, which many celebrities swear by. However, he is now moving on from his traditional audience – adults who want to lose weight by eating a diet that is very heavy in meat – to a new audience: high school students.
In his new book, which will be published on Thursday, January 5, 2012, Dukan makes a recommendation to the future president of France to institute a program that will encourage students to maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI), which can be determined by comparing a person’s height and weight. This seems like a good idea; students should learn about healthy lifestyle choices in order to become healthy adults. However, Dukan recommends giving the students higher grades if they have an acceptable BMI.
Wait a second, is he really suggesting grade inflation for students who are in shape? Evidently, the answer is yes.
“There is nothing wrong with educating children about nutrition,” Dukan said. “this will not change anything for those who do not need to lose weight. For the others, it will motivate them.” He claims that his new education plan is “a good way to sensitize teenagers to the need for a balanced diet.”