title: Prevalence of overweight and obesity in collegiate American football players, by position.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors' purpose in this study was to determine overweight and obesity prevalence in a collegiate football team.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football players volunteered to participate.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors measured height, weight, and waist circumference (WC), and estimated body fat percentage (% BF) from bioelectrical impedance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body mass index (BMI), WC, and % BF were all positively correlated (p < .01), but BMI overestimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 50.6% of the cases. Fourteen players (16%) qualified as obese under all 3 methods. Offensive linemen had significantly higher % BF (p < .01) than most other positions, and on average this group exceeded the at-risk criteria for BMI (> 30 kg/m2), WC (> 102 cm), and % BF (> 25%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMI alone is not a valid indicator of overweight and obesity in a strength-trained athletic population. However, some collegiate football players, especially linemen, meet multiple criteria for obesity.
authors.affiliation: Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-7000, USA.
authors.forename: Emily Millard
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.forename: Dale R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005538:Football / Q000502:physiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities