Overweight Players?

[Southmaniac]

As we all know having big guys in the ofensive and defensive line is necesary. I've made some research and in an article I found that 96% of NFL players are overweight, but that doesn't mean anything because of the muscular mass they have. For example: a normal person is 5'10 and weighs 175 aprox. but an Nfl player of 5'10..let's say a RB weighs 215, but that's not the issue because it's almost pure muscular mass. The problem here are the big guys, i'm not saying Herrion's death had something to do with his weight, but 26% of NFL players are obese with very high body fat% and mainly ofensive liners and defensive tackles, thats the issue that has to be studied. Thoughts??

 

[painnotpleasure]

I am honestly not surprised by hearing this at all. There is no doubt in my mind that roughly 96% of the players in the NFL are overweight. You have to keep in mind that these guys are PHYISCAL FREAKS, and if they weren't... I'll tell you right now, they'd definitely be in a different profession. The question is always brought up why NFL players have such short lives. The most frequent explantions are your body wearing down, steroids, the physical abuse every player takes, etc. That's all true but it's also because that like you mentioned 96% of the entire league is overweight (even though a majority is muscle mass) but you have to realize how many players are over 200lbs and how many players are over 6 feet. And of course than there's the Offensive Lineman who I'd say the average weight is around 300lbs, that's just dangerously unhealthy! After the tragic news of Reggie White passing away not too long ago from sleep apnea, it just makes me wonder how many players in the NFL that must suffer from sleep apnea and will have shortened lives because of it. The majority of the problem would definitely fall under the Offensive Lineman and the Defensive Lineman but this is exactly why professional football players need to be in the best shape of their lives. It's a tough thing to say, but no matter how good of shape you are in... if you're 300+lbs... it's definitely going to cause problems in your life one way or another and unfortuately possibly shorten your life but I'm not surprised by the fact that 96% of the NFL players are overweight. These aren't normal sized people we're watching on TV, they guys are just PURE PHYSICAL FREAKS.

 

[Dol-Fan Dupree]

As we all know having big guys in the ofensive and defensive line is necesary. I've made some research and in an article I found that 96% of NFL players are overweight, but that doesn't mean anything because of the muscular mass they have. For example: a normal person is 5'10 and weighs 175 aprox. but an Nfl player of 5'10..let's say a RB weighs 215, but that's not the issue because it's almost pure muscular mass. The problem here are the big guys, i'm not saying Herrion's death had something to do with his weight, but 26% of NFL players are obese with very high body fat% and mainly ofensive liners and defensive tackles, thats the issue that has to be studied. Thoughts??

when I read that study they went with BMI. Which is not good at judging people with a lot of muscle.

 

[Maynard the Hammer]

I am honestly not surprised by hearing this at all. There is no doubt in my mind that roughly 96% of the players in the NFL are overweight. You have to keep in mind that these guys are PHYISCAL FREAKS, and if they weren't... I'll tell you right now, they'd definitely be in a different profession. The question is always brought up why NFL players have such short lives. The most frequent explantions are your body wearing down, steroids, the physical abuse every player takes, etc. That's all true but it's also because that like you mentioned 96% of the entire league is overweight (even though a majority is muscle mass) but you have to realize how many players are over 200lbs and how many players are over 6 feet. And of course than there's the Offensive Lineman who I'd say the average weight is around 300lbs, that's just dangerously unhealthy! After the tragic news of Reggie White passing away not too long ago from sleep apnea, it just makes me wonder how many players in the NFL that must suffer from sleep apnea and will have shortened lives because of it. The majority of the problem would definitely fall under the Offensive Lineman and the Defensive Lineman but this is exactly why professional football players need to be in the best shape of their lives. It's a tough thing to say, but no matter how good of shape you are in... if you're 300+lbs... it's definitely going to cause problems in your life one way or another and unfortuately possibly shorten your life but I'm not surprised by the fact that 96% of the NFL players are overweight. These aren't normal sized people we're watching on TV, they guys are just PURE PHYSICAL FREAKS.

i agree. the NFL player must studied as anomalies, cause thats what they are

 

[yankeehillbilly]

There was a report on this last year or the year before on one of the TV news magazines (60 minutes, Dateline, etc.) Said the biggest problem was when the players retire. They generally continue to take in huge amounts of calories and high fat red meats, but no longer burn those calories off in training camp/games/offseason workouts. Usually leads to heart disease.

 

[arnoldu]

I am honestly not surprised by hearing this at all. There is no doubt in my mind that roughly 96% of the players in the NFL are overweight. You have to keep in mind that these guys are PHYISCAL FREAKS, and if they weren't... I'll tell you right now, they'd definitely be in a different profession. The question is always brought up why NFL players have such short lives. The most frequent explantions are your body wearing down, steroids, the physical abuse every player takes, etc. That's all true but it's also because that like you mentioned 96% of the entire league is overweight (even though a majority is muscle mass) but you have to realize how many players are over 200lbs and how many players are over 6 feet. And of course than there's the Offensive Lineman who I'd say the average weight is around 300lbs, that's just dangerously unhealthy! After the tragic news of Reggie White passing away not too long ago from sleep apnea, it just makes me wonder how many players in the NFL that must suffer from sleep apnea and will have shortened lives because of it. The majority of the problem would definitely fall under the Offensive Lineman and the Defensive Lineman but this is exactly why professional football players need to be in the best shape of their lives. It's a tough thing to say, but no matter how good of shape you are in... if you're 300+lbs... it's definitely going to cause problems in your life one way or another and unfortuately possibly shorten your life but I'm not surprised by the fact that 96% of the NFL players are overweight. These aren't normal sized people we're watching on TV, they guys are just PURE PHYSICAL FREAKS.

Excuse my ignorance but what exactly is sleep apnea?

 

[finsnchips]

this is actually a very good thread (the VIP forum would be proud of something like this)...

Zach Thomas is 5'11 (maybe even shorter)... he is abnormally 'thick' and is listed at 230 lbs. this is not normal.

Yes, the NFL players should be studied as anomalies; however they are still human beings at live at unhealthy weights..

 

[zephon]

this is actually a very good thread (the VIP forum would be proud of something like this)...

finsn'...we get along pretty well for just a couple of posters on a message board but...come on.....to say "the VIP fourm wold be proud of something like this" is like saying....."oh, even though my little brother is mentally handicapped, he'll say something intellegent every once in a while"

I had totally forgotten about that "other" board. But I guess that explains why there are 40-50 people logged in but only 3-5 that are posting in the regular or as I'm now going to reference it as "the stepchild forum"

 

[finsnchips]

finsn'...we get along pretty well for just a couple of posters on a message board but...come on.....to say "the VIP fourm wold be proud of something like this" is like saying....."oh, even though my little brother is mentally handicapped, he'll say something intellegent every once in a while"

I had totally forgotten about that "other" board. But I guess that explains why there are 40-50 people logged in but only 3-5 that are posting in the regular or as I'm now going to reference it as "the stepchild forum"

i mean it makes a nice change from the '(insert random crap QB) for QB' threads.... or the trade 'AJ for blah, blah' threads..

it is said with the greatest of respect, i can assure...

 

[yankeehillbilly]

Excuse my ignorance but what exactly is sleep apnea?

Its when you stop breathing while you sleep. Usually you wake up to continue breathing, but sometimes not.
Being overweight supposedly contributes to the likelyhood of developing one type of sleep apnea.

 

[zephon]

i mean it makes a nice change from the '(insert random crap QB) for QB' threads.... or the trade 'AJ for blah, blah' threads..

it is said with the greatest of respect, i can assure...

while I'm not a "VIP memeber" (I just don't want to have to pay, I don't have any reason other than that) I totally understand what you are saying. It's just that if someone else had said that, you likely know the certain types who view the "VIP" tag on under their name as some type of status symbol and like to let others know it (well, one in particular) I would have been bothered by that statement.

Hey, I don't know you from Adam but I've posted with you enough to understand where you are coming from...I'm just letting you know that there are a few others (again, just one in particular) who use the VIP tag as proff to themselve they are smarter posters than non-VIP members.

hey, it's cool, it started off as a joke...only when I went back and read what I wrote I noticed that I didn't put any smiley faces or anyting in there, sorry about that. you know that if I had a real problem with something you wrote I'd PM you (or anyone for that matter)

 

[zephon]

Its when you stop breathing while you sleep. Usually you wake up to continue breathing, but sometimes not.
Being overweight supposedly contributes to the likelyhood of developing one type of sleep apnea.

my uncle had 3 different surgeries for that..all on his nose and throat areas. He's a big guy..actually we're all big but he's by far the heaviest of our close family memebers at 6-5 315-335....now, he's not all muscle either.

Yes, he's a large man all the way around but when he got over 280 he actually looked fat and finally after the doctor performed the 3rd opeation on him, only then told my uncle that he'd also have to lose weight to make it go away (basically, he got 1-2 extra surgeries out of my uncle). He got a 2nd opinion finally and that doctor said no more operations....lose weight and they also put him on this breathing machine that he has to wear every night while he sleeps..he says that the machine helps as he now doesn't wake up choking from a lack of air....it's actually pretty scary stuff. That goodness I got the family height but not the weight.I may be 6'4" but I only weigh 225

 

[Scot down under]

I've also heard that ex-athletes can have health problems, at least partially caused by a drastic reduction in the amount of exercise. (Admittedly that was for ex-olympic rowers - pretty extreme levels of fitness required there - but the same principal applies to the NFL).

I would of thought that heat exhaustion was less likely in this case though since I heard it wasn't as hot in Denver that day as it sometimes is at this time of year.