Fat Boy Scouts Banned From Jamboree

This is horrible, and aren't these activities where they would made be more fit?


I can understand not having a 300-400lb boyscout go on a 20 mile hike, but why not allow them participation to the degree they can do it?




Overweight Boy Scouts barred from national Jamboree by new BMI requirement

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Boy Scouts at this year’s national Jamboree were kayaking, rock climbing, zip-lining and bike riding in 90-degree heat Monday. And for the first time, scouts and their leaders had to meet new health requirements: No one with a body mass index of 40 or higher was eligible to attend. A 16-year-old boy who is 5 feet 9 inches and weighs 150 pounds would have a healthy BMI of about 22. 

The rugged terrain at Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia, where the Jamboree is taking place for the first time, warrants these new requirements, local Scouts and Scoutmasters at the Jamboree said. Overweight boys would have a tough time getting around and probably wouldn’t have much fun. 

“It’s constant up and down elevation changes,” said Ron Blazak, one of 18 adult leaders attending this year’s Jamboree from the Boy Scouts of America Greater Cleveland Council, which sent four troops consisting of 150 scouts. “It’s much more strenuous.” 

  [snip] Applicants with BMIs of over 31.9 were reviewed by the Jamboree’s medical staff, which determined eligibility based on health history, health data and a recommendation from the applicant’s health care provider. 

Applicants with one or more risk factors, including prior heart attacks, tobacco use, or diabetes, were required in some cases to provide documentation of testing from their physician to ensure their ability to participate. 

Though a recommendation of “no contraindications for participation” by an applicant’s health care provider did not necessarily guarantee full Jamboree participation, according to the Jamboree Website. “We published our height [and] weight requirements years in advance and many individuals began a health regimen to lose weight and attend the Jamboree. But, for those who couldn’t, most self-selected and chose not to apply.  

See: This Week In Fat Stigma: The Boy Scouts Of America Have Forbidden Fat Kids From Attending Their Annual Jamboree