[Edratman]

My experience does not disprove your theory. It is the size 3 Bandar that are getting the obesity. I do not remember any instances where a mage got obesity. And I almost exclusively use the bandar for leading troops into combat, only using the size 2 commanders as ferry captains. My preferred technique is to outfit the Bandar commanders with bows (actually I do this with all the mundane combat commanders I can, no matter what nation I play).
So I can usually get at least 2, sometimes 3 in the HOF in the early game. I always set HOF at 15 so I can get more in also.

It was a size 2 commander that got the Heroic Stupidty though. He got his experience ferrying reinforcements into battle as I was capturing the provinces surrounding the capital.