Is Obama's Surgeon General Too Fat?

If obesity is indeed a serious public health challenge, an "epidemic" as the First Lady among others strongly argues, wouldn't it make sense to select for the most visible public health job somebody who has overcome this problem?

At Salon.com, contributor Frances Kissling estimates Surgeon General designate Dr. Regina Benjamin as a size 18. Whatever the accuracy of Kissling's eye, by any measure the nation's new top doctor is a very big girl. The bloggers at Jezebel express outrage that

No sooner did Barack Obama nominate Dr. Regina Benjamin to be the next Surgeon General than people started talking about whether her weight should disqualify her from public office.

I 've scoured the Intertubes pretty thoroughly this evening, and I can find no evidence of any mention of this point by anybody other than a stray anonymous comment on a newspaper website. But now that you mention it... it's not completely crazy. Would the president choose a visible smoker as SG? The post has few responsibilities, it is almost purely symbolic. So, if obesity is indeed a serious public health challenge, an "epidemic" as the First Lady among others strongly argues, wouldn't it make sense to select for the most visible public health job somebody who has overcome this problem - rather than failed to do so? Bring back Sanjay Gupta!