Obesity In Umpiring
 

1 in 3 Americans are considered obese, more buy some standards, less by others. I was out at the ballpark tonite, a octoplex, with soft and hard ball playing. I counted 50 different umpires and 35 of them were hanging bellies over their belts. That was the men, all four of the women were obese.

Some of these guys were jokes trying to cover 90' fields, not a single one attempted to cover 2B when their partners lumbered out on fly balls with no one on.

Obesity is simply overconsumption, gluttony; it's not like smoking, the horrible addiction that is.

If we are to set examples for the kids we umpire, and it is arguable if that is our burden, then the increasing levels of obesity are a public shame.

So long as an umpire can get into position and make good calls, I don't have a problem with obesity. Obesity is just like height and age; it only has an influence on one's umpiring abilities if people use it as a form of discrimination. Keep in mind as well that body type is genetic. If we could all be like Arnold Schwartzeneger we would, but we have to work with whatever size we have.

I've noticed the likes of Joe West, Bruce Froemming and Durwood Merrill to name a few are going by the wayside. I believe one's physical appearance is now becoming an issue with MiLB and MLB umpires. Diet and exercise have apparently become required with the job description.

In other words, PBUC is spitting out clones. You don't meet certain requirements, you don't cut the muster. Meet the minimum standards, or get a government job. The choice is yours.

I've been overweight for quite some time now, and I never had any trouble beating any BR, no matter how much of a jackrabbit, to third base on a naked triple starting in A. On the plate, I've never had any trouble beating any BR to the 2nd base cutout when a partner went out on a fly ball. And then beat them to third if they go for 3.

There are plenty of overweight umpires who can umpire circles around their slimmer brethren. It's much to do with knowing how to take drop steps, take superior angles to get to plays, knowing the game well, and a little thing called hustle. I've seen lots of lazy skinny umpires who hardly move at all, and plenty of big husky fellas that get around pretty damn good.

Fat bashing is popular for people with nothing better to do (example: post #1). Those with no weight problem seem to think they have all the answers. Just stop eating. Bullsh!t. If that's all it took, then it would be easy and everyone would be skinny (how boring if we were all clones!).

There are many medical reasons for retaining weight. My wife is overweight, but she eats like a bird. She has a bad knee which prevents her from any heavy exercise, but she isn't big because she eats too much, or eats the wrong food. Both of us are diabetic, which makes it doubly hard to lose the weight we already had when diagnosed.

Sure, there are plenty of cases of people that just sit around eating like Sherman Klump, but for every one of those, there are people (like my wife and myself) who have medical conditions which lead to weight problems.

I've seen several skinny umps not cover 2B in this sitch - it's not a fat problem it's a lazy problem. I've also seen several rather large fellas cover a lot of ground (and rapidly).

Size doesn't always play a roll in agility or "how far you move" - it's a matter of "want to" - some have it, some don't

And just for the record, not every one that is obese is a "victim" of gluttony. Many of them suffer from a medical condition. Also, a belly hanging over the belt (in and of itself) is not obesity. There is a large (pardon the pun) difference in over weight and obese.

Obesity has nothing to do with genetics, by definition, an obese person is one who willingly overconsumes thereby creating a known health hazard with well known health adversities. There is a cardiologist that my Boss, Interested Ump, is close friends with. Dr. Chung and IU collaborated on the Two Pound Diet. Simple formula, eat only 2 lbs of anything (except water) you will lose then maintain a healthy weight.

What I find extraordinary is that umpires seem to be well outside the 1 in 3 norm.

The relationship between obesithy and alcoholism is established with many of the obese are mecically considered alcoholic. I have to wonder if umpires by average are also outside the norm for alcoholism.

not a single one attempted to cover 2B when their partners lumbered out on fly balls with no one on.

I have come back into the infield after going out on fly balls that weren't caught, only to see a supposed "fit ump" standing at home plate tending his little garden.

That's the dumbest thing I've read in a LOOOOOONG time. Obesity can indeed be genetic. A genteic predisposition for a weight problem makes the fight to "stay fit" rather difficult. You are going to be "big boneded" regardless of what you do to fight it. You can prevent it, even when you are genetically inclined for this condition - but it would take more than just eating two pounds of food/day (which by the way is simply "counting calories." Less than 2000 calories/day = weight loss. Around 1000/day = drastic weight loss (and can be very dangerous for some dieters).

Obesity, by definition, is excessivley over weight, period. It makes no assumption about how one becomes over weight.

Gluttony by definition is willful over consumption (of anything).

Please get your definitions straight before you post inaccurate information.

Tell you what, if you are so sure, then why not join sci.med.cardiology or call Dr. Andrew Chung, who resides on SCM to counsel just this subject. Then come back and support obesity is genetic, which infers one can't do anything about it.

Complete crap, it's gluttony, overconsumption and nothing else.

After McSherry dropped dead, it appears you are right. MLB has become more image conscious and have chosen to promote leaner umpires. And more consistent strike zones.

PBUC may be on to something.

I thought you said you rarely if ever call 90' fields. :confused:

No fat bashing, simple observations. Oversensitive?

I am sorry you are obese. It's because you choose to be so. If you would like to debate a cardiologist, please do so.

http://tinyurl.com/3ap4qa

No one claimed that medical conditions did not promote obesity but, again, diabetics overconsume, period, end of story.

Sorry, come back after you see the cardiologist. You're fooling yourself and you are choosing to be unhealthy when you choose not to be.

Anyone who does not cover 2B is lazy. Anyone who is obese makes it that much harder, and less likely, that 2B is going to get properly covered.

Yes, they are.

glut·ton·y (glŭt'n-ē) http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/pron.gif
n., pl. -ies.

Excess in eating or drinking.

Abdominal fat is the worst of the worst of overfat conditions. The number of patients who Dr. Chung has seen whose tummies hang over their belts and are not obese are zero.

At 185, I'm not overweight, nor do I have a six pack now days. I've seen some of those obiese umps run circles around some of those fit umps. As long as my partner covers his responsibilites, keeps his uniform neat and clean, I don't personally care. I can only worry about my personnal appearance. Hence, I've lost nearly 20 pounds over the past year. However, I've always found it interesting how one can negatively judge another for facial hair, yet being 50 pounds overweight is acceptable. Never judge a book by it's cover, we all would do well to remember that.

First, I said that it COULD be genetic. I did not say every case was genetic.

Second, being genetic has nothing to do with "assuming nothing can be done about it." It simply means that there is a predisposition to acquire that "trait." When it comes to weight, unless there is a medical reason for it, the person can control it. A person who is genetically inclined to be obese WILL BE a large person, but that person doesn't have to be obese.

This statement is about as stupid as saying that all Mexicans/Blacks/Rednecks look a like. It's a prejudiced remark. BY DEFINITION obesity has nothing to do with gluttony. You are defining one as the other. It amazes me on how many subjects you attempt to be an expert. Ignorance is fine, but don't pretend to know that which you do not. I am not an expert on this subject. However, I have been educated in genetics, physiology, etc - so I'm not completely ignorant and can speak intellegently and without prejudice. Try it, you'll like it.

You are intitled to your opinion of fat people, black people, foreigners, southerners, northerners...but don't post your opinion as fact.

Keep one thing in mind fitty - it's better to keep your mouth shut and have someone think you're a fool than to open your mouth and prove them correct.

And you would be wrong. Let's see, believe you or a cardiologist, many cardiologists? I'll have to think about that one. :rolleyes:

Yeah?? Well geneticists would also state otherwise. I'm on the hefty side myself and have done my job quite well, thank you. But you do raise an important point, though. It is important for all of us to maintain a reasonable weight in proportion to height and frame. And I'd have to agree that MLB has gotten its act together.

Obesity is not a sign of laziness and should not be socially disgraced in any way. It is a condition of choice and many times has its roots in psychological issues (lack of self-esteem, etc). I am constantly surprised, though, to see umpires who empirically are outside the norm for obesity.

NONE of this makes sense - dumbass. Gluttony of the eating persuasion leads to obesity true - your definition doesn't say that obesity = gluttony. It simply says that gluttony is over-indulging (over eating in this case).

Yes, if you are obese your belly will hang over your belt. BUT just because your belly hangs over your belt doesn't make you obese (over weight? Probably - obese? Not necessarily).

And now THIS is the dumest thing I've read.

You are confusing over weight and obese. Obese is EXCESSIVELY over weight.

Diabetes caused by gluttony and obesity? You are out of your f#$%#ing mind. Steve said he's overweight AND CONTROLLING IT. You are blind to the facts, and are not only biased in your opinion, you are showing the stupidity that rides shotgun to prejudice.

I have given you the definition of both obesity and gluttony (from the dictionary) - but you still don't see the difference. Now you've gone from ignorant (uneducated) to stupid (educated but still don't know).

What you are doing is this: I say that everyone that lives in "that" subdivision is Asian. You are taking that information and saying that all Asians live in "that" subdivision. Very wrong conclusion.

No geneticist has or will ever clinically citation obesity as a genetic condition that cannot be controlled by reducing consumption. If you overconsume, you will be overfat and eventually obese.

Again, I support this by:

http://tinyurl.com/3ap4qa

and sci.med.cardiology discussions, not innuendo or mythology.

This is the only statement you've made that is 100% correct.

But I must add that just because you are "overfat" does not mean that you have over consumed.

YES, if you over consume you will be overly fat. I cannot argue that, nor am I trying to. But you have constantly stated that over consumption is the ONLY way one could be obese. THAT is not true.

You still disregard other factors such as:
METABOLISM

GENETICS!! (my maternal grandfather was big and lived to the ripe old age of 86)

etc.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Complete crap, it's gluttony, overconsumption and nothing else. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Why you drag race into this I have no clue. I have left the medical definition, and the encyclopedic definition of obesity, you are incorrect on both counts.

Correct, obese people are gluttons, the expert is the cardiological field, not me. I would say that you place yourself as an expert as you continue to argue against the medical profession with futility.

:confused:

I have no idea what education you have nor do I care until you can produce more than opinion. I have and I stand with the experts on this, you can stand wherever you want, it won't change the facts.

How overweight are you, btw?

Why you keep attempting to place me as a racist when no one except you has any discusion of race in this thread. It's really a pathetic and shallow ploy.

"The best advice is often the one given to others, often best utilized by the advisor."

I made no statement to imply that you are a racists - I was using race as an example while talking about prejudice (as race is the most commonly known form).

For the record - I am 6 feet, 180 pounds - not over weight AT ALL. My adamant stance has nothing to do with my weight nor the weight of anyone in my family (or friends).

"obese people are gluttons" - this comment is where I have the biggest problem with your comments. Not all obese people are gluttons. Are all gluttons obese? Yes, if their gluttony involves food. You constantly group all of one type with the other. Gluttony will produce obesity, I cannot argue that. However, obesity is not ONLY caused by gluttony.

You simply don't get it, apparently. You have your opinion that the two are one in the same - and if the cardiologists told me they are one in the same I would simply produce the definition of both and have enough evidence to dispute the claim.

Obesity is a problem. We (Americans) are WAY overweight. Too many are obese. Obesity (excess weight) can lead to health issues (that a cardiologist would treat). I don't dispute these things. The ONLY thing I'm disputing is your constant claim that obesity is gluttony (and nothing else).

Gentlemen........
 

How is /ignore going to work when you jeep on quoting?

Besides, teaching a bigot manners is futile. Correcting a moron is likewise an exercise in futility.

What's funny is I eat to gluttony, am 45 years old and have a BMI of 13%.

So much for the opinion of imbeciles.
:cool:

Hey all,

fitump56, you know not of which you speak. You are a TROLL and nothing less. Obeseity CAN be caused by over-stuffing the mouth OR genetics can play a part OR BOTH. This comes from someone who has dealt with a real cardiologist, not one I made up in my head, because of health issues that were caused, in part, by weighing as much as 80-100 lbs. more than the "experts" say I should for my 6'4" frame. Genetics are a major contibuting factor to obeseity in the cases of a lot of people.

That in mind, weight does not determine ability to cover responsibilities from home to second/first to third, etc.., hustle and pride in the job you are doing does!

LomUmp:cool:

What other ways might genes influence obesity?

It has been argued that the thrifty genotype is just part of a wider spectrum of ways in which genes can favor fat accumulation in a given environment. These ways include the tendency to overeat (poor regulation of appetite and satiety); tendency to be sedentary (physically inactive); diminished ability to use dietary fats as fuel; and enlarged, easily stimulated capacity to store body fat. It is noticeable that not all people living in industrialized countries with abundant food are or will become obese; nor will all obese people suffer the same health consequences. The variation in how people respond to the same environmental conditions suggests that genes also play a role in the development of obesity. This diversity occurs even among groups of the same racial or ethnic background and within families living in the same environment. All of these observations are consistent with the theory that obesity results from the interaction of genetic variation with shifting environmental conditions.


Genomics



Genetics

How do genes affect obesity?

Science shows that genetics plays a role in obesity. Genes can directly cause obesity in disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome.

However genes do not always predict future health. Genes and behavior may both be needed for a person to be overweight. In some cases multiple genes may increase one’s susceptibility for obesity and require outside factors; such as abundant food supply or little physical activity.

For more information on the genetics and obesity visit Obesity and Genetics: A Public Health Perspective.

Contributing Factors


Genetic predisposition may not be health destiny, but studies indicate that inherited genetic variation is an important risk factor for obesity. Evidence from twin, adoption and family studies strongly suggests that biological relatives exhibit similarities in maintenance of body weight. Genetic factors also are beginning to be implicated in the degree of effectiveness of diet and physical activity interventions for weight reduction.

These genetic risk factors tend to be familial, but are not inherited in a simple manner; they may reflect many genetic variations, and each variation may contribute a small amount of risk and may interact with environmental elements to produce the clinical condition of obesity.


Medical Moment




I could go on posting numerous sources that support what Darien's already said. I've yet to find a single one that would agree with Fitty'.



Tim.