by Kelsey Murray
Pierre Dukan is the author of The Dukan Diet, and his books have sold millions of copies around the world, thanks in no small part to being Kate Middleton’s rumored diet. Now, the author is dipping his toes into the political arena by offering advice concerning the national obesity problem.
Dukan suggested to the future president of France that students should receive higher marks for staying within a specified body mass index range.
“For those who don’t need to lose weight, it wouldn’t change anything,” said Dukan. “For the others, it would motivate them.”
Dukan says that half of the population is overweight and that this trend has doubled in the past 12 years. He seems to think that targeting students under the age of 18 is one way to curb this problem.
“Obesity is a real public health problem that is not taken seriously enough by politicians,” he said.
In comparison to the rest of the global obesity scale, France really does not have a large obesity problem. Only 12.7 percent of French women and 11.7 percent of French men are considered obese, which gives it one of the lowest obesity percents of the 19 countries in Europe.
Dukan’s position is debatable. On one hand, it makes sense that children should be taught about healthier lifestyles and encouraged to maintain a healthy weight. However, on the other hand, artificially inflating grades may not be the most appropriate way to encourage them.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments section below.
