Anthony Troupe Jr. collapsed last week on a suburban St. Louis football field before he finished running a lap before practice. The oversized 13-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital an hour later.

The boy, known as "Big Ant" for his 6-foot-2-inch, 383-pound body, had a good work ethic and moved as fast and strong as boys less than half his size, coach Lonnie Jordan said.

"He knew he was a big guy, and knew what his job was as offensive guard, and defensive tackle," Jordan said. "He was proud of it."

An autopsy was performed but cause of death won't be available for several weeks pending tissue and toxicological test results, said Dr. Mary Case, St. Louis County medical examiner, adding that the boy's weight and heart are "certainly a consideration."

And, perhaps too, family history.

The boy's father, Anthony James Troupe Sr., collapsed and died at age 45 after working a night shift in April 2007. "He clocked out, and he clocked out," said Anthony's mother, Carol Howard. His death certificate states what roughly translates to high blood pressure and clogged arteries.

Dr. Keith Mankowitz, a professor of medicine at Washington University who specializes in prevention of sudden death in athletes, said 13-year-old boys don't die of morbid obesity.

"He had to have had some underlying heart problem," said Mankowitz, who suspects Anthony and his father had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most common genetic heart condition that thickens the heart walls. It's also the most common cause of sudden death in athletes.

Cardiomyopathy is what I have, I personally have been dealing with this for 5 years now, when I went to my dr and they told me that I have this a 18 year old basketball player from Garaway died from this... it's not just in obesity it's in a lot of people! Just becuz a kid is fat doesn't mean anything! There are people in another country that are doing a study on this and have found the what they need to look for in blood work. This is something that sould be looked for, it's just crazy that the young people are dropping over dead from something that I live with daily. I feel bad for the parents, but i feel worse for the kid, this is something that they can find with an ekg heck a smiple xray found mine... it's sad to see and to hear. I wish there was more that I could do! But for you that are reading this please understand that this can happen to anyone! if you have any questions for me about cardiomyopathy just ask, I have been looking into it and trying to find ways to heal myself. THanks

Hope you take care!

Did anyone see the news, channel 7, I think it was Issues, about people being fat. They were saying that it is killing more people than smoking does. If that is true you watch, MCD's will not be allowed to buy ads on TV. I lost weight eating at Mcd's, I would get a double, side salad and a diet pop. Would do that twice a day. Cheapest diet so far. Same way with BK. I would also skip the mayo, and add extra lettice, tomato , pickles and onion, you can do that at BK without the extra cost, also at Wendy's.

They are going to start a life style tax, on things like snack cakes and soda. Taxing people will not help. My grandmother was a big lady and lived for 94 years, it's not about your weight but more about your family history. ANd it's not the weight as much as it's all the stuff they now put in our foods. We stuff our chickens with hormones, and that makes the problem worse.

Another problem is we don't work as hard. And we watch TV and sit at our PC's. But I was a cubby kid and worked on a small far, so sometimes it's just who you are. I was talking with a very thin person who eats alot. And never gains any weight. So it's a problem, that is very hard to fix. I agree people seem to be getting bigger. But what better way to get more of your money than to tax the over weight. If we were getting thinning they would find a way to tax them also. It's about control and taxes.

The Government wants to blame you for everything, so they can tax everything. And control every thing in your life.

I saw the story where a overweight child was taken out of the home and the mother changed with child abuse. Sorry you can not control a child's weight, they sneak, and even in the story they said he got most of his food from school, he would be given food from other kids. The mother was working at a low income job on the night shift and didn't have the money to buy all the junk food. But if they start this, think about what if you have a teen girl who is underweight due to over dieting? Once this starts it will not end. The nanny state is now here. Not sure how I got on a government rant, but sorry I did.

OK I promise last thing. The low fat fad, did not help. People were eating loads of carbs, causing insulin over loads. And I beleive we are seeing the effects of that fad. With all the new people becoming diabetic. The only way to lose weight is to cut down and move more. It's painfully slow, I know it took me a year and a half to lose 50 pounds, I still keep watching what I eat, but I have stopped losing for over a year now. I guess I should be happy I have not gained it back. I can't control my body, don't know how the government thinks it can? Oh wait, bread and water at the Fema camp. lol

Ironic Jewel, you take care of yourself. Is there anything that can done?

MadCow, the government just doesn't want the sheeple to be happy. My grandmother was 96 years old, cooked with bacon fat, loved to make fudge at Christmas and enjoyed life. She died at the hands of another not from any disease or evil Little Debbies cake. Life is too short to not enjoy a nice treat when you can. The government sees our desire to have a sweet treat or a soda or tobacco product as a way to get easy money. I hope in the next elections people decide to clean out the house and senate and get some new people ion the chairs. Ones that will work for the people that elected them.

yeah I'm great in June of 2008 they had to put in an icd box (pacemaker/defibulator) but i have been feeling and doing great since. If dr's would look at the big pic. and not just a small one these deathes could be prevented! and when I said that you don't have to be fat to have this or unhealthy, the kid that died from this from Garaway was fit, played every sport, ran track, and was in great shape! I'm over weight but I'm healthy, I try and walk 3 miles a day and watch what I eat. Salt is a big factor, it make you retain water, water can build up around your heart making it work that much harder. I have learned a lot after I started to see the cardio dr.

Thanks for asking about how I'm doing! I went to the dr's the other day and they wanna look into taking me off some of my meds, and lowering others so I'm more then great I'm perfect LOL!