A new football club that encourages overweight and obese men to get fit and adopt healthy lifestyle choices is launching in Plymouth later this month, following Devon fitness-focused footballers losing a quarter of a tonne of weight in the last 12 months.
According to Public Health England data published in April 2023, the number of adults in Devon that are overweight or obese is around 61 per cent. Across the last year, men taking part at MAN v FAT Football clubs in Exeter and Torbay shed 256kg of unhealthy weight.
RELATED PLYMOUTH HEALTH NEWS
Plymouth’s Slimming World members shed weight to raise pounds!
Created for men with a Body Mass Index of above 27.5, MAN v FAT Football has more than 8,000 players taking part in over 150 clubs across the UK. The total amount of weight lost by players in the UK currently stands at over 700,000 pounds.
At the start of a session, players are weighed to monitor their weight loss progress across a week. 30-minute games of six-a-side football then take place with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on their weight loss.
A team’s combined weight loss and match scores then contribute to its league position within a club.
Tim Bland from Crediton is a player at MAN v FAT’s Exeter club, he explains:
“Being a member of MAN v FAT Exeter has been a great experience for me. I’ve lost weight, made positive changes to my lifestyle, and made good friends. I’ve enjoyed the routine of having something to look forward to on a Friday evening.
“The moments when you can feel you’re losing weight have been amazing. The first time people who weren’t at MAN V FAT noticed I’d dropped some weight was incredible.”
MAN v FAT Football Plymouth launches on Friday 23 August at Plympton Academy, where sessions will take place on a weekly basis. The club’s organisers are encouraging local men to join ahead of the launch date, with teams having spaces for new players.
