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In American football, large body size is an advantage. Physique acquired in adolescence, however, can persist into adulthood. To estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among youth football players, 653 boys (age range, 8–14 years) participating in a community-based football program in Michigan were assessed for a number of measures including height, weight, and BMI.
Overall, 20% of the players were overweight (BMI, ≥85th and <95th percentiles), and 25% were obese (BMI, ≥95th percentile). Obesity rates were highest in early maturing boys. The prevalence of obesity in this cohort was nearly twice as high as that in a national sample of American boys (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2002).
Comme…