If that extra helping of turkey and giblet gravy gets you feeling a little bit wide around the middle today, you might want to consider going to college.

Lincoln University, for instance. In one of the more coercive approaches to fitness we have seen, the historically black Pennsylvania university is requiring that overweight undergraduates take a fitness course as a condition of graduation.

Predictably, that is now raising the ire of some undergraduates who are now beginning to realize that they haven't yet had their body mass tested - and their last chance to take the course may be in spring. Under the university's rules, an undergraduate with a body mass index of 30 or higher must take a fitness course that involves walking, weight training, physical activities and nutrition and health information.

BMI is a measure of weight to height and the normal range is 18.5-24.9. A number of 30 or higher, and an individual is considered obese.

The university instituted the policy with incoming freshmen in 2006 and as those students now come close to graduation, about 80 seniors - 16 percent of the class - haven't been tested and might have to take the class this spring, according to news reports.

They could probably use a course in dealing with procrastination, as well.

Officials at the college say they are concerned with high rates of obesity and diabetes, especially in the black community and aren't backing away from the policy.

"We know we're in the middle of an obesity epidemic. We have an obligation to address this head on, knowing full well there's going to be some fallout," said the chairman of the school's health, physical education and recreation department.

We share the concern for student health and fitness and the college's efforts are no doubt well-intentioned.

But well-intentioned or not, the notion of singling out obese students for special required coursework seems to us demeaning and more likely to produce resentment that won't make students inclined to make healthier personal life choices.

As one student put it: "If Lincoln is concerned about everyone being healthy, then everyone should have to take this gym class, not just people who happen to be bigger."

That seems to us a more appropriate and less stigmatizing way to move the campus toward a healthier student body.