fuzzis
11-30-2007, 11:15 AM
Putting on Weight for Football Glory (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/sports/30obesity.html?_r=1&oref=slogin)
...High school football rosters reveal weight issues that go beyond the nation’s overall increase in obesity rates among children. Two studies this year, one published in The Journal of the American Medical Association and another in The Journal of Pediatrics, found that weight problems among high school football players — especially linemen — far outpaced those of other male children and adolescents.
Now coaches and researchers fear that some young athletes may be endangering their health in an effort to reach massive proportions and attract the attention of college recruiters.
“The old saying was, ‘Wait till you get to college to make it a business,’” said Rusty Barrilleaux, the coach at Hammond High in southeastern Louisiana and a former offensive lineman at Louisiana State. “It’s still fun, but if you want to get to college, you have to get that size. The pressure is definitely on.”
While massive size may make a small number of players more attractive to recruiters, doctors and researchers say they are growing concerned about long-term health risks associated with being overweight and obese. Some advocate weight limits for high school football, similar to a cap of 285 pounds for heavyweight wrestlers....
...High school football rosters reveal weight issues that go beyond the nation’s overall increase in obesity rates among children. Two studies this year, one published in The Journal of the American Medical Association and another in The Journal of Pediatrics, found that weight problems among high school football players — especially linemen — far outpaced those of other male children and adolescents.
Now coaches and researchers fear that some young athletes may be endangering their health in an effort to reach massive proportions and attract the attention of college recruiters.
“The old saying was, ‘Wait till you get to college to make it a business,’” said Rusty Barrilleaux, the coach at Hammond High in southeastern Louisiana and a former offensive lineman at Louisiana State. “It’s still fun, but if you want to get to college, you have to get that size. The pressure is definitely on.”
While massive size may make a small number of players more attractive to recruiters, doctors and researchers say they are growing concerned about long-term health risks associated with being overweight and obese. Some advocate weight limits for high school football, similar to a cap of 285 pounds for heavyweight wrestlers....