shaq's New Show-Maybe a Little Ironic

[erpowers]

Shaq has a new show on ABC in which he tries to help kids lose weight. Is it a little ironic or weird that ABC gave a weight loss show to a basketball player who, though great, is known for being greatly overweight and having a lacking workout habit? I figure the show will have high ratings and that is what ABC is looking for. I figure getting a person who can give them high rating was a major concern. However, should ABC have given the show to another professional athlete who is known more for being in shape and working hard to stay in shape? No, I am not talking about Kobe. It just seems crazy to me for ABC to have a show about kids needing to lose weight and getting Shaq to be the person who trains them. So what do others think?

[americanstranger]

1. I think to a majority of viewers, it won't matter.

I see your point, considering the biggest point of the Kobe-Shaq feud was Kobe's contention that Shaq always showed up for training camp overweight.

But to the casual observer, Shaq's weight/training problems are irrelevant. They just see a big lug who they know from commercials who is entertaining and pretty funny.

And for those of us who do know about Shaq's weight issues, it may even lend a bit more credibility to the effort. Shaq may understand the minsdet of the kids a bit better than, say, Kobe or KG or a player who hasn't fought that particular battle.

- as

[Longhorn]

2. Perhaps someone who has had to struggle to lose weight

would have a better understanding of what these kids are going through. Some people who are in great shape don't necessarily have to work at it.

[nickgutierrez]

3. I would dispute the idea that Shaq struggles with weight.

Or, he doesn't any more than a man at his size and body type might. There is a significant difference between being at your proper weight and being in game shape - the reason it took him so long to really get himself ready this season was lack of the second, not the first. He looks fat because he's wide as a house, and in that sense the weight is part of his game, but I don't think he's any fatter than an elite professional athlete ought to be.

[trumad]

4. I agree

The Op claims he's been "greatly overweight"----which is an untrue statement... Or sure he's come into camp heavy, but he's never been "greatly overweight". Oh---and anything Kobe has to say about Shaq you can take with a huge grain of salt.

[erpowers]

5. For Years

For years Shaq has been greatly overweight. This year and a number of years before the NBA has come out and said tht Shaq is obese. I am quite sure it was reported that Shaq has a body Mass Index of about 33%-34%. Anything over 30% is considered obese. Now there has been a new study that could challenge the idea that Shaq is truly obese. The study claims that some athletes who have been said to be obese due to body mass indexing might not be as obese as once thought. The study says that some athletes have above 30% that include the large amount of muscle weight they carry. However, for years Shaq has been listed as being obese.

Here is a link to a story about Shaq being obese. The story states that Shaq has a Body Mass Index of 31.6%. This index comes after the Heat organization ask Shaq to lose 40 pounds. Before the weight loss Shaq was 365 lbs. So, what I said in my original post was actually right.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7129586/

[Longhorn]

6. More about that study:

http://newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/3009/content.htm

Research shows BMI often not an accurate indicator of body fat

March 5, 2007

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Body mass index, or BMI, long considered the standard for measuring the amount of fat in a person’s body, may not be as accurate as originally thought, according to new research.

A research team from Michigan State University and Saginaw Valley State University measured the BMI of more than 400 college students – some of whom were athletes and some not – and found that in most cases the student’s BMI did not accurately reflect his or her percentage of body fat.

The research is published in the March issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.

BMI is determined by this equation: A person’s weight divided by his or her height squared. Generally a BMI of 25 or above indicates a person is overweight; 30 or above indicates obesity. A person with a higher BMI is thought to be at a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes and other weight-related problems.

“The overlying issue is the same criteria for BMI are used across the board,” said Joshua Ode, a Ph.D. student in the MSU Department of Kinesiology and an assistant professor of kinesiology at Saginaw Valley. “Whether you’re an athlete or a 75-year-old man, all the same cut points are used.”

“BMI should be used cautiously when classifying fatness, especially among college-age people,” said Jim Pivarnik, an MSU professor of kinesiology and epidemiology. “It really doesn’t do a good job of saying how fat a person really is.”

The problem, especially among younger people and athletes, is that BMI does not distinguish between body fat and muscle mass, said Ode.

(more)

[trumad]

7. Please

The BMI criteria for world class athletes is a joke and the link you posted pretty much says that throughout.