Can we accept a fat Doctor-in-Chief?

Obama's nominee for US Surgeon-general is overweight. Critics object to it. We look at the argument.

Source: Today, 24/7/9, p.22
Headline: Too big for the role?

Quote1
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's nomination of Ms Regina Benjamin as America's surgeon-general has faced a barrage of criticism frommedics who claimshe is setting a bad example because of her weight. ...

Comment1
A pot accuses a kettle of being black. The kettle retorts: "So are you!" This does not result in the kettle no longer being black. The truth of an accusation does not depend upon the accuser being free of the same charge. An argument of this nature is known as the Tu Quoque (you too) fallacy. In this case, a person does not have to be a picture of perfect health in order to be a surgeon-general.

Quote2
Said Dr Lillie Shockney, director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Breast Centre: ... "I want an image of wellness, because young people will hear her better if she is practising what we expect her to preach." ...

Comment2
This is a psychological effect. Listeners should learn to ignore the image of the speaker and focus on the substance of what is said. The more we cater to fallacies and irrelevancies, the more they will perpetuate, and the longer we will remain in confused thought.

Quote3
The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance said: "Despite exceptional qualifications, the criticism focuses on her weight!"

Comment3
Even if Ms Benjamin did not have "exceptional qualifications", the objection is still a fallacy.

Quote4
Others have pointed out that previous male surgeon-generals have not been pictures of slimness. -- The Daily Telegraph

Comment4
The thrust of this comment needs to be spelt out. In this unclear state, any of the following could be a response:
1. Only female surgeon-generals have to be slim.
2. Those past appointments were wrong.
3. Yes, slimness is not a requirement in a surgeon-general.

END