There are more examples where that came from. The New York Daily News spotlights 36 of their favorite “fat-letes.” Here are a few interesting examples:

• Emanuel “Tiny” Yarbrough is a sumo wrestler from Rahway, New Jersey. He weighs about 800 pounds, and holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest athlete.

• Prince Fielder is the first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers, and son of another portly slugger, Cecil Fielder. He’s a vegetarian, so that does away with the myth that a meatless diet is a free ticket to thinness.

• Babe Ruth is the most famous heavy slugger of all time. When not downing hot dogs between at-bats in the dugout, he was adding to his heaping home run totals.

• Eddy Curry of the New York Knicks stands at a startling 6′11″. He’s got 285 pounds on that frame, and his fitness habits are questionable, which is why you’ll find him with a trainer this next off-season trying to get in shape.

• John Daly is a master at golf, but health he is not. Between a serious smoking habit and a love of bar food and drinks, this 300-pound pro is actually down about 40 pounds since his Lap-Band surgery this year.

Check out the other pudgy athletes in this pictorial at the New York Daily News.

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Male Athletes with Weight Problems

In fact, it was precisely the excess pounds and passion for food that landed author of Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater, Frank Bruni, a job as the restaurant critic for The New York Times. In his nakedly honest memoir, Bruni chronicles his life as not just one of the most respected (and feared) food critics in the country, but also as a voracious eater whose relationship with food rendered him powerless over anything from convenience store eats to Chinese food delivery.

With humor, candor and thoughtful introspection, Bruni discusses his battle with weight and food from a lens that we often don’t see through: That of a man’s own tumultuous battle with a food addiction.

If you’ve ever thought that men never know what it’s like to wrestle with their own food and weight demons, think again and pick up a copy of Born Round.

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Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater by Frank Bruni

You may still be right about the Big Gulp, though.

The report by Dr. James B. Weaver III of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine  say they found a “measurable” associations between playing video games and health risks.

According to the survey, the typical adult video game player is overweight, introverted and probably somewhat depressed. The researchers hypothesize that the video gaming for adults is a sort of “digital self-medication.”

“In short, they literally ‘take their minds off’ their worries while playing a video game,” the investigators note in their report.

The Internet-based survey included people from 19- to 90-years-old from the Seattle-Tacoma, Washington area (is there a 90-year-old playing Grand Theft Auto?). They were questioned about their health and media habits.

Of the 552 respondents, more than 45 percent identified themselves as video game players. Fifty-six percent of those were men, which indicates a surprisingly high percentage of female gamers.

The researchers report that a higher body weight and greater number of “poor mental health days” was found with adult video gamers as opposed to the non-gamers.

Dr. Brian A. Primack of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine sees a difficult tight rope that needs to be walked:

“How do we simultaneously help the public steer away from imitation play-like activities, harness the potentially positive aspects of video games and keep in perspective the overall place of video games in our society?”

It’s probably an unanswerable question. Only the individual can determine that they will allocate a healthy amount of time to video games while still trying to be social and active.

(via: Yahoo)

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Video Gamers Not So Young, or Fit

Rex Ryan on left with Jets' Kerry Rhodes. Photo via Flickr user bkrieger02.

It used to be that celebrity women were known for the diets they followed. However, with the recent likes of Rush Limbaugh and his success with Quick Weight Loss Centers, NFL’s Mike Golic on NutriSystem, and now New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan on a quest to lose some of the 340 pounds he has been carrying around, diets for men are becoming more interesting.

Since the NFL is known for its large players – the average NFL player weighs 245 pounds, 25 pounds heavier than their average weight in 1970 – it is no wonder that their coaches’ size is no different.

Ready to embark on an extreme liquid diet, Ryan is not shy at all about his health, obesity problem, or his recently diagnosed dyslexia. A self-proclaimed food lover, Ryan realizes how difficult this liquid diet may be, but he’s willing to stick with it in order to improve his health and stick around for his two sons and his grandkids.

The name of his diet has not been released, but it involves consuming a vegetable or fruit juice concoction for each of his daily meals. It is unclear as to why Ryan is  following the diet for only five days given the amount of weight he needs to lose in order to get into a healthier BMI range. Right now, he is classified as obese. And despite a health scare a few years back, the coach does seem to be quite an anomaly as both his blood pressure and cholesterol levels have checked out to be very normal.

DietsInReview.com will be sure to keep you posted on Coach Ryan’s progress and whether or not his 5-day extreme liquid diet inspired him to follow a more long-term diet program.

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Jets’ Coach Rex Ryan Follows Extreme Diet to Lose Weight

Dr. Clint Springer is the father of twin four-year old boys and is currently expecting a daughter in the fall. He is also an Assistant Professor of Biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA where he studies the effects of climate change on plants.

Pregnancy not only means changes with your partner’s body, but if you are not careful it may mean some for dad, too. It happened to me when my wife was pregnant for our twins. Prior to the pregnancy I was not in prime shape, I had just completed a doctoral program and made a major life transition from graduate school to my first position that moved us half way across the country. However, after the pregnancy I was thirty pounds heavier than before. I was astounded, I had no idea I was gaining weight between the stresses of a new job and the preparations for the twins’ arrival. 

So what caused this unexpected weight gain? First, I was not active at all and my diet was out of control. For example, when my wife was pregnant she craved cheeseburgers from a fast-food restaurant that was less than a block from our apartment. A few nights a week we would eat there and stop on the way back at the conveniently located ice cream establishment that shared a parking lot with our complex.

Second, I spent very little time thinking about my health and far more time thinking about the well-being of my wife and soon to be born sons. Of course this is a natural thing to do; in fact weight gain during pregnancy for male mammals is a natural process as well. A number of studies report an increase in male mammal weight during their partner’s pregnancy as well as increased levels of testosterone and cortisol.

As I write this, my wife is pregnant again and this time I am doing things differently. I no longer eat what she eats nor do I lead a sedentary lifestyle. Now I keep a food diary and I exercise on a regular basis. Fortunately, these activities are paying dividends. I have lost eight pounds. Trust me, you do not want to be caring for your new baby carrying your own “bun in the oven.” Take control of your health now, it will be much harder after the baby arrives.

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

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Dads, Battle the Baby Bulge During Your Partner’s Pregnancy

Jason is a dad who blogs at SnaggedMag. After the birth of his daughter, he experienced what some might call the daddy baby bulge, and now he’s working to kiss it goodbye.

Didn’t these pants fit me last week? I found myself asking that question a lot leading up to the birth of my daughter and into the first two years of her life. How did this happen? And where was I when it happened?

It seemed like the months and days leading up to the birth of my daughter there was a life transition in our home. The closer we got to the date, the more we seemed to stay home and hibernate. Maybe it was the feeling that our lives were going to change or just the pure exhaustion of getting the nursery ready. We also came up with a grand scheme of moving to a new city six months before the birth for a new job. So not only not knowing anyone here didn’t help, but having four job changes between the two of us in those six months didn’t help either.   

Oh yeah, I know where those extra pounds came from. I decided that I would eat for two as my wife was, except someone forgot to tell me I wasn’t the one that was pregnant.

After the birth of my daughter I made the mistake that I am pretty sure most parents make. I forgot about my health and made sure that my daughter was happy and healthy. Plus, I wanted to be around her whenever I wasn’t working and didn’t want to have anything else take up that time.

Now two years later I am ready to get rid of this ‘Daddy Bulge’ and not be around for my daughter now, but be around in the future.

For me to knock off the weight I realized that I needed a goal in mind. That goal is to run a 5K at the end of the year, which so far hasn’t been as successful as I have wanted it to be as I seem to revert back to sedentary Daddy mode instead of ‘healthy’ Daddy mode. Now if I can just remember where I left those running shoes.

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

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Setting Goals to Lose the Daddy Baby Bulge

I also have lost more weight than any Biggest Loser contestant, 221.4 pounds to be exact. I did it all in a year without surgery or pills, and have maintained it for four months.

Losing weight is a funny thing. At 420 pounds, people advised me on so many diets. There was Atkins, Zone, Carb Haters, Carb Lovers, Protein Dandy, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Weight Watchers, and of course the “all-purpose” berry.

What if I told you the “Diet” has very little to do with losing weight.

Most diets work. If they did not, they would not be successful.

Diets are like snowflakes as well, two people have never lost weight the exact same way.

What losing weight takes is heart!

I recently came up with a very simple challenge called “The Missouri 60.”

One day at work my boss came up to me and was pointing out a lot of things I need to fix. The stoves needed detailing, the server’s shirts needed to be pressed, etc. Before I was going to explain, he glared at me and said:

“Hey Tony, I do not want to hear it. Just do it. See, I am from Missouri. Get it! Missouri. Show me baby!”

I finally realized Missouri is the “Show Me” state.

After fixing all of the issues, I thought about my weight loss. I did not lose the weight on a special top-secret diet that will make me millions. I lost the weight by finding a plan that worked and doing it.

So here are the rules for my challenge. Get a huge pad of paper and a pen with a lot of ink! Ready.

• Take a picture of yourself
• For the next 60 days, learn about yourself and show yourself how great you can be.
• After 60 days, take another picture and compare.

Sounds silly, right? Well, most people hate taking pictures of themselves, and most people cannot dedicate themselves for 60 days.

I can tell you, if you can do this, you will be a better person. You will have more confidence, you will make better decisions, and you will find a plan that works for you.

Show yourself how great you can be!

Learn more about Tony Posnanski’s story here at DietsInReview.com.

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Creating Your Own 60-Day Diet

This week we invited several fathers and men from around the blogosphere to share with you their personal stories of weight loss struggle and success. Weight loss can take on a very different tone for men than it does for women, but the end result is happier, healthier people.

We hope you’ll take to heart the message that these men are sharing, and make this Father’s Day the first of many more healthy holidays.

Four Reasons Why Dad’s Good Health is a Must

Fathers who give unconditionally can find it difficult to find motivation for personal good health.  Nevertheless, for the whole family to be happy, the whole family must be healthy. Among all the hats dads wear, they must also be the example for healthy eating and lifestyle. Here’s how to find that motivation and follow through: - Tommy Galan, HappyUniverse.com

No Father’s Day Gift Necessary for Dad Who Lost 220 Pounds

In sixteen months, I have lost 221.4 pounds and maintained it for four of those months. I still eat well, work out, and live a life I never thought I could. I also write about my experiences here. So when my son asks me what I want for Father’s Day, I will tell him I do not want a thing. I have everything I want in life now! - Tony Posnanski, The Anti-Jared

Dad Thinks Losing Weight is Fun and Easy

That’s right, losing weight is fun and easy! It must be, because I’ve done it several times. In 1993 I got to my goal weight after losing 90 pounds. By 2002 I’d gained 115 pounds, so in 2002/03 I lost it again. Then by 2008 I’d gained 50 pounds, so lost it in 2008/09. Hmm…now that I think about it, it wasn’t much fun. And it’s lots of work. So what went wrong? - Bill Gookin, Daddy is Tired

Computer Programmer Becomes a Male Model after 60 Pound Weight Loss

So, it was by pure coincidence and I suppose, good fortune, that I wandered into a gym and my life changed completely. To avoid sounding hackneyed, my life went from being a prisoner of helplessness to one of freedom and adventure. It didn’t happen overnight, however. In the span of three years, I lost over 60 pounds. Initially, it seemed impossible, but the more I persevered, the less difficult it seemed. - Stefan Pinto, StefanPinto.com

Dads: Lighten up the Ego and Your Weight

Guys, when it come down to the brass tacks of the matter, heart disease and diabetes are pretty good reasons to get over the stigma of dieting. I’ve always been a proponent of dieting as a temporary thing that leads to permanent lifestyle changes. – Jason Knapfel, DietsInReview.com

At DadLabs, Motivation is the Key to Weight Loss Success

Historically, it seems the only way that I successfully lose weight is to be in some kind of fat loss competition. Six years ago after the birth of our first child, I looked down and realized that I was fat. Really fat! Fat like an old school State Senator from Alabama. So I challenged my good buddy and colleague Daddy Clay, to see who could drop the most lbs in a given period of time. – Brad Powell, DadLabs.com

Dad Starts Healthy Lifestyle with Help of EA Sports Active

On April 3, 2009, I began a journey to change my life.  In California to meet with EA SPORTS officials about the then soon-to-be released EA SPORTS Active, I made a commitment to my wife, Kari, and our kids, and the world, that I was going to change my lifestyle. At the time, I weighed a staggering 369.78 lbs.  That was too much.  Way too much. – Donny Claxton, DadsCenter.org

Most Popular Diets for Men

This week is Men’s Health Week at DietsInReview.com, and we want to highlight a few weight loss programs that are focused on the needs of men. Learn more about the four diets men just like you are using.

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Men’s Health Week Inspires Healthier Fathers

The week of June 15 is Men’s Health Week at DietsInReview.com. Brad Powell joins as a Men’s Health guest blogger.
Brad Powell a.k.a. “Daddy Brad,” is the Chief Operating Officer, Producer and Co-Founder of DadLabs. Inc. He serves as co-host for two of the DadLabs weekly web shows and is an avid daddy blogger, accomplished parenting speaker and social media panelist.

Powell is co-author of DadLabs Guide To Fatherhood, Pregnancy and Year One, and is a regular columnist for the web publication Destination Maternity.com and was selected as Dad of the Month by I-Parenting Media in May of 2008. He is an avid Tweeter and was recently named to Austin Social Media’s Top 100 list.  He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and two children and has one more on the way.

Historically, it seems the only way that I successfully lose weight is to be in some kind of fat loss competition. Six years ago after the birth of our first child, I looked down and realized that I was fat. Really fat! Fat like an old school State Senator from Alabama. So I challenged my good buddy and colleague Daddy Clay, to see who could drop the most lbs in a given period of time.  

A formidable match was he, given his resemblance to Jaba the Hut. Whoever lost the most weight from November to January won a steak dinner, compliments of the other guy. Looking to shed 45 pounds quickly, I went on the patented Daddy Brad Diet; better know as the Bacon, Bourbon and Cigarette diet. While it worked wonders for my waistline and helped me write a ton of great blues songs, I fear it wasn’t the greatest thing for my long-term health. I dropped tons of weight, scored a free steak dinner and walked around for a long time looking like I was wearing my dad’s clothes.

A few months ago, as I prepared for the arrival of my third child, I realized that I was once again fat. Not Dixie Land State Senator Fat, more like, Notre Dame Football Coach Fat!  Needing to lose the weight pronto, I crafted yet another challenge. My brain child was an obese busting competition against my co-workers, Daddy Clay included who had ballooned again as well, and any one else in the DadLabs’ Community who dared to dual with me via cellulite. But this time instead of following some whacked out protein and stimulant fueled diet, I decided to be simple and sensible. My plan included three portion-controlled meals a day, snacks of nuts and vegetables combined with daily exercise. Guess what? It worked! Who knew that eating right and exercising regularly will actually help you lose weight and maintain your weight?

Ultimately I realized the secret to my weight loss was all about motivation.  I also won the challenge, take that Jaba!

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

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At DadLabs, Motivation is the Key to Weight Loss

Donny Claxton joins us as a contributor for Men’s Health Week. Donny is a public relations executive who has embarked on a new adventure for the benefit of himself, his wife, and their seven children. He recently completed the EA SPORTS Active 30-day challenge and continues to use it along with other healthy habits to regain his health. Donny regularly blogs at DadsCenter.org.

On April 3, 2009, I began a journey to change my life.  In California to meet with EA SPORTS officials about the then soon-to-be released EA SPORTS Active, I made a commitment to my wife, Kari, and our kids, and the world, that I was going to change my lifestyle.

At the time, I weighed a staggering 369.78 lbs.  That was too much.  Way too much.

It’s now June 19, 2009, and I weighed in this morning at 340.65 pounds.  I’m almost down 30 pounds in two and a half months and I’m still dropping.  I’ve done one EA SPORTS Active 30-day challenge and I’m now doing a second.

I’ve sworn off my daily equivalent of two IVs of straight Southern-style sweet tea.  At home we’ve done away with fried foods.  I’ve had one order of French fries since the beginning of April.  We’ve done away with white bread at home.  I only eat whole wheat bread anymore.  I don’t drink alcohol so that was easy to “give up.”  I haven’t had a Coke or carbonated beverage since April of 2001.

This second go around with the EA SPORTS Active 30-day challenge, I’ve complimented my working out with other physical activities.  Nearly every night now, I’m swimming laps for at least 30 minutes.  It’s catching on, too, because my youngest twin daughter, Haley, (by 7 minutes) is also swimming with me. Dads, what we do, the kids will often copy!

I’m drinking tons of water now.  I keep a bottle or two of it on my desk at work.  At home, I drink it with a touch of lemon or lime juice just to give it a variety of taste.

And my dog, Molly, now knows the workout routine as well.  She knows that when I finish an EA SPORTS Active workout, she and I are going for a walk around the neighborhood.  When I do my workouts, she’ll come sit close to where I’m doing lunges, running in place, shoulder presses and all, and waits.  As soon as I go to close out the virtual fitness product, and that backwards sounding music starts to play, she stands up and moves to the front door where we keep the leashes.

This morning when I got dressed, I changed belts.  The one I’ve been wearing most for the past year was about four inches too loose for my waist.  My jeans are super baggy now and it’s time to pull out the old jeans or treat myself to some new ones.  I have an EA SPORTS Active shirt on today.  I’m wearing it un-tucked.  I used to not wear it that way because my stomach, 30 pounds ago, stuck our so far it looked like I was pregnant. Now it mostly hangs straight down.

My gift to my family this Father’s Day is going to be a healthier me.  Already this summer we’ve taken our kids to Yosemite.  I hiked more with them than I ever have.  I climbed more with them than I ever have.  And I was less tired than I ever have been with them there.  And it’s all because of what I began with EA SPORTS Active and the determination that all was not lost.  I could begin a fitness program at 43 and lose weight, and lose lots of it.
I’m still on my journey.  I’m now 10 pounds too heavy to use the Wii Fit, but that beats beginning 40 pounds too heavy.  I’m so looking forward to getting to that point and adding a new variety into my exercises because the balance board works with EA SPORTS Active!

Come on dads, if I can do it with seven kids, you can, too!

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

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Dad Starts Healthy Lifestyle with Help of EA Sports Active