More Accurate Measures of Body Fat May Be Needed in Retired Athletes
Newswise — PHILADELPHIA, PA — The standard body mass index (BMI) cutoff point for obesity doesn't accurately reflect body fat in retired National Football League (NFL) players, reports a study in the July Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Dr Mark H. Hyman and colleagues of University of California Los Angeles compared various measures of obesity in a group of 129 ex-NFL players—time since retirement one to 32 years. Based on the standard BMI definition (BMI of 30 or higher), 67 percent of the subjects were classified as obese.
The participants also underwent a test called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for detailed assessment of body composition, including fat and lean body mass. On DEXA, only 13 percent of the retired athletes were classified as obese. The DEXA cutoff point for obesity was 25 percent body fat, or 27 percent for those over age 40.
The data suggested that a BMI cutoff point of 40 would be a more appropriate definition of obesity in retired football players. In the general population, a BMI of 40 indicates severe or morbid obesity.
Ex-linemen and players with more years in the NFL were more likely to be obese, by either definition. Those with BMI-defined obesity were more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea—a common obesity-related condition.
Recent years have seen increased attention to health problems among ex-NFL players, including high rates of obesity and related diseases. Standard definitions of obesity based on height and weight may be inaccurate in groups with greater muscle mass, such as athletes and military personnel.
"We found BMI to overestimate the number of obesity cases in a population of retired professional football athletes," Dr Hyman and coauthors conclude. They suggest that DEXA may provide a more accurate measure of obesity in this "unique population." They call for further study of obesity risks and prevention in professional football players.
About the Author Dr Hyman may be contacted for interviews at [email protected].
About ACOEMACOEM (www.acoem.org), an international society of 5,000 occupational physicians and other health care professionals, provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments.
About Journal of Occupational and Environmental MedicineThe Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (www.joem.org) is the official journal of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Edited to serve as a guide for physicians, nurses, and researchers, the clinically oriented research articles are an excellent source for new ideas, concepts, techniques, and procedures that can be readily applied in the industrial or commercial employment setting.
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