More than half of the American National Football League (NFL) players are dangerously obese, according to a recent study.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that 56% of them had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 30, which doctors consider obese.
The BMI is a standard formula for dividing weight by height to determine whether someone is overweight. The ideal BMI is considered to be between 19 and 25.
The NFL hit back at the claims. It said the research was “not a serious study”, and that it had not considered the ratio of body fat to muscle. A spokesman said the NFL now has a medical panel as “part of an ongoing priority to protect the health and safety of our players”.
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The heaviest current footballer is the Arizona Cardinals’ Leonard Davis, who weighs in at 27st 6lb.
