Here's the skinny on a small mind.
Geoffrey Miller, a prominent professor of evolutionary psychology, attracted an onslaught of criticism for fat-shaming potential Ph.D. students via Twitter.
The visiting NYU lecturer, who clearly never possessed the willpower to transform himself into some bulky Adonis, exposed another lack of self-discipline Sunday with a statement he later renounced as "idiotic, impulsive, and badly judged tweet." Oh, the irony…
"Dear obese PhD applicants: If you don't have the willpower to stop eating carbs, you won't have the willpower to do a dissertation. #truth."
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The truth? Scientifically speaking, whether a person qualifies as obese according to medical guidelines does not determine intelligence or dedication to intellectual pursuits, as Samuel Johnson, Harold Bloom and Ryan Lochte demonstrate.
"Current human biology and health psychology research show conclusively that a combination of genetics and social environment have far more to do with obesity than does 'willpower,' contrary to what people often assume," said Jason DeCaro, a biological anthropologist at the University of Alabama.
Miller’s incendiary tweet.
Alexandra Brewis Slade, a human biologist at Arizona State University, specializes in weight gain and its health effects. She said that Miller's comments are not only inflammatory and uninformed, but an example of what many call the “last socially acceptable form of discrimination.”
“It is thus comforting at some level that the response to Dr. Miller’s tweet has been as energetic as it has been. Outrage in this case is helpful,” Brewis Slade said.
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Weight bias often goes unnoticed, but Miller has actually served on admissions committees, as his CV indicates, and is actively seeking another Ph.D. student for his lab group — so his preconceived notions about overweight applicants could have an impact.
After the deluge of criticism started to fall, he attempted to distance himself from the controversial tweet: "Obviously my previous tweet does not represent the selection policies of any university, or my own selection criteria."
Not so obvious … a scroll down memory lane on Twitter to May 4 reveals a series of tweets bemoaning diversity. He argued that if everyone ate paleo diets and joined CrossFit, mental and physical health would soar; if we all read The Economist, democracy would thrive; if we all gave up religion, our species would be happier and if we all spoke the same language, empathy and trade would increase while conflict declines.
Miller's answer? Conformity.
Handout
Miller, a prominent professor of evolutionary psychology visiting NYU from the University of New Mexico, told his department chair that his controversial was "part of a research project." The department is looking into the validity of this claim.
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And yet, DeCaro asks, where would we be without Winston Churchill, an obese cigar-smoking man who called upon God for the willpower and determination to hold the UK together to defeat the Axis Power in World War II?
Clearly not someone who gave up easily, Churchill might have even been able to handle a few Miller's assignments.
Miller holds a permanent position at the University of New Mexico, whose psychology chair, Jane Ellen Smith, confronted Miller as soon as she learned of the tweet. He told her that the comment was "part of a research project." The department is looking into the validity of this claim.
Rebecca Puhl, research director at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy Obesity, thinks much work remains to be done to reduce the pervasive societal weight bias against overweight people.
“If the statements had instead been made about Ph.D. applicants of certain racial or ethnic minorities, religions, or sexual orientation, this would not be tolerated,” Puhl said.
Miller, who changed his Twitter to private, has not responded to the Daily News' request for comment.
mwalsh@nydailynews.com
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