On Monday, CNN ran a story on its website about a college in Pennsylvania that requires students with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher to take a fitness course.

Students who are assigned to the class but don’t finish it — don’t graduate.

The students at Lincoln University knew about this requirement going in. The school approved the policy starting with students who entered the university in 2006.

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. There’s no question about that. Last year alone, spending to treat the health consequences of obesity topped $86 billion, and predictions are that the…

If we believe the hype, many of us will be doing some stealth shopping online today instead of working on those balance sheets and quarterly projects.

Today is Cyber Monday, we’re told, when a lot of Americans continue (or maybe start) their Christmas shopping with some online deals.

Some retailers offer special deals — free shipping, 20 percent off  your order, and the like. My email inbox had at least four separate offers this morning as I did a quick scan on my phone before pulling out of the garage.

But somehow, many of us probably feel that Cyber Monday is a lot like Black…

The Post-Dispatch’  Matthew Hathaway reports consumers are expected to be more reserved this year with their holiday spending. Still, some St. Louisans will be hitting the stores early Friday morning.

(Julie) Katerberg won’t inaugurate the start of the holiday shopping season by buying much for herself, as she might have in previous years. Nor will she splurge on many big-ticket items. And, even though Katerberg’s Black Friday shopping tradition used to be more about fun family togetherness, this year finding bargains is key.

“Everywhere around us, people are losing their jobs and — with just a one-job household — that’s always a risk,”…

William Neuman of the New York Times reports that the market for heritage turkeys remains strong, even in a down economy, even at prices exceeding $10 a pound, or $180 a bird.

“It’s a hot item,” said Bill Niman, a prominent advocate for sustainable agriculture who this year jumped into the so-called heritage turkey market — older breeds of birds that had all but disappeared until championed by preservationists and foodies.

He raised 2,500 birds for Thanksgiving and “sold every bird.”

Neuman says: “Heritage turkeys are old-fashioned breeds that resemble their wild ancestors more closely than do modern breeds. Devotees say they are more…

Today’s Post-Dispatch features a story about things that can go wrong with your Thanksgiving dinner. Let’s broaden that a little, though. We don’t have to limit ourselves to Thanksgiving. Let’s talk about that time at Grandma’s birthday, or your in-laws’ anniversary when someone or something broke down, blew up, threw up or otherwise malfunctioned.

We’re talking far beyond food. Hasn’t everyone, at some point, overcooked, undercooked or forgot to cook something? Let’s hear about the Christmas tree that wouldn’t stand up — so you nailed it to the wall. (That really happened to a friend of mine. Thanks, Tom.) Or the big…