NFL and Fast Food

[Dave Van Skike]

MOD. i look at the picture i read the study.


Does this guy look like a morbidly obese insulin resistant pre-diabetic? Yeah there's some really fat lineman.....doesn't mean the average chubby strength or power athlete is going die at 40.

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Dave Van Skike

Does this guy look like a morbidly obese insulin resistant pre-diabetic? Yeah there's some really fat lineman.....doesn't mean the average chubby strength or power athlete is going die at 40.

Honestly since a diabetic can be someone 175lbs to 375lbs I can't even guess what his blood work would tell about his health. Risk factors are risk factors, that being that the higher the bodyfat the higher chances of increased inflammation, high fasting insulin, insulin resistance, etc. Is someone with some fat on them going to live to 40? Sure most likely......50? 60? 70?....Quite possibly, especially if the person is active, doesn't have high stress levels, and not eating sugar but maybe just has excess calories causing weight gain...then who knows. Same reason a skinny person who doesn't exercise, has high stress and lives on Jolt Cola may not make it past 50.

Going back to the original topic about linemen and some of the sport guys...they eat like crap thinking they are getting away with it during their playing days...when it could just be a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. An overweight person on whole foods will outlive an overweight person on junk food and processed sugars....mostly due to the insulin resistance factor.

Hell there are some sumo wrestlers who can live well into their 80s....but most have to lose some weight after they are done and still try and keep active. But I find it ironic that most sumo wrestlers have decent blood work even when putting down 20,000 cal a day and working out for 4 hours. Of course they only eat one meal so there might be some sumo form of IF helping to combat insulin resistance. Most of their ill-health starts when they stop competing after 40 and then start eating 3-5x a day, probably because of the non stop insulin spikes and and lack of real exercise.

In the end...isn't life expectancy just a guessing game we play with the genetic factors we are dealt? All we can do is manage the risk factors we know that will decrease life expectancy. Only things we know for sure is that calorie restriction is the only proven way to extend animal life spans in a lab environment.....and high fasting insulin/blood sugar is going to lead to an early grave whenever that may be.....which is dependent on the individual.

[Derek Weaver]

Originally Posted by Gant Grimes

We haven't seen anything yet. I remember in the 90s, Nate Newton was a big deal because he was the Cowboys first regular starter to weigh over 300 pounds. In the early 90s, there were only about 10 NFL starters over 300 pounds! Now there are at least 2 300 pounders on every large high school line.

In the next 5 years, Nate, Refrigerator Perry, and the other OGs of largeness will be hitting 50. I fear things will not be pretty.

That's a good point Gant. Weren't those Cowboys teams of the 90's all special because it was the first line to average 300 lbs?

I guess the moral of the story is, if you want to live long and healthy, don't be a millionaire athlete who gets there by taking a physical pounding and eating a lot.

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Derek Weaver

I guess the moral of the story is, if you want to live long and healthy, don't be a millionaire athlete who gets there by taking a physical pounding and eating a lot.

or at least you hope they take up healthier habits when they are done....

[Dave Van Skike]

Well ok....if we're all going to wring our hands over the unhealthy eating habits of the mighty....don't leave these chubbsters out of your prayers.....





herein my firm belief..health and sport aren't on a continuum. Hell, they might not even be branches of the same tree.

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Dave Van Skike

Well ok....if we're all going to wring our hands over the unhealthy eating habits of the mighty....don't leave these chubbsters out of your prayers.....

I don't pray for athletes....as it's all a personal choice what we do with our lives and bodies.

That being said there is a hard line to draw....when does size for sport performance become too much? Does the NFL have a right to encourage 360lb linemen to keep going down that road....or does it have a responsibility for the health of it's players? When is it just going to far? How does this go down through college.....high school. When should we worry about the health of younger athletes taking their attitude from what the pros do?

[Dave Van Skike]

Originally Posted by Mike ODonnell

I don't pray for athletes....as it's all a personal choice what we do with our lives and bodies.

That being said there is a hard line to draw....when does size for sport performance become too much? Does the NFL have a right to encourage 360lb linemen to keep going down that road....or does it have a responsibility for the health of it's players? When is it just going to far? How does this go down through college.....high school. When should we worry about the health of younger athletes taking their attitude from what the pros do?

ruh roh! philosophy alert....I'm out.

Ask Neal W. whether the NFl has that responsibility or not. As above, there may even be an inverse relationship between health and success in sport.....but as much as this culture loves a winner, on the flip side, it loves its vanity even more..

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Dave Van Skike

ruh roh! philosophy alert....I'm out.

Ask Neal W. whether the NFl has that responsibility or not. As above, there may even be an inverse relationship between health and success in sport.....but as much as this culture loves a winner, on the flip side, it loves its vanity even more..

If Neil shows up....I'm out. Ha.

As for society....if someone is a winner...and vain....my goodness....the world is theirs!