Skip to content

Fighting fit for football

The power and popularity of football is helping more and more men lose weight – and experience the benefits of getting active

22nd September 2017

“I was obese and facing a knee operation, which I only really needed because of my weight,” says builder Ben Gallon.

“I saw MAN v FAT footballers and thought I’d give it a go with my brother. I love football and I desperately needed to lose weight.”

Ben became one of the first people to join MAN v FAT footballers when he joined the first free league in Solihull in January 2016.

CURRENT STATE OF PLAY

His story is a familiar one among men in the UK.

More than 67% of men are overweight or obese, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures.

By using the power and popularity of football, though, more and more men are now losing weight and experiencing the benefits associated with getting active.

The only thing you have to lose by joining the league is weight

Andrew Shanahan

managing director, MAN v FAT Football

More than 4,500 players have joined the leagues and lost nearly 50 tons of weight between them since the launch over 18 months ago.

Across the leagues, more than 90% of players lose weight and 93% report health improvements.

TACKLING INACTIVITY

The impact is clear – which is why we, along with the Football Association, are now backing 20 MAN v FAT Football leagues starting in September.

We are investing £190,000 of National Lottery funding to provide more opportunities for people to play.

Taking part will be free or subsidised, giving more than 1,200 inactive men the perfect opportunity to get back into sport and activity.

men signing up to man vs fat
men doing star jumps in football kits
men playing football
man in football kit
a Man vs Fat football team
Man holding a trophy being applauded by his man vs fat teammates

Andrew Shanahan, managing director of MAN v FAT Football, said, "We’ve seen how positive the leagues are as a way of supporting men who want to lose weight and get more active.

“What’s brilliant is that, because of this funding, we can bring these leagues without the normal fees for players, so the only thing you have to lose by joining the league is weight.”

IT’S THE TAKING PART THAT COUNTS

You don’t have to be brilliant at football to join in either.

Players can contribute simply by taking part and losing weight as the final result is settled by both goals scored and bonuses based on weight lost at the end of the match.

“After one season, I’d lost over 26% of my body weight and, unsurprisingly, my knee was no longer an issue,’ recalls Ben.

“I’ve since gone on to work as a coach with MAN v FAT Football as I believe it’s an amazing opportunity for men to get back into football – and get healthier.”

FURTHER INFORMATION

Sign up to our newsletter

You can find out exactly how we'll look after your personal data, but rest assured we’ll only use it to make sure you receive our newsletter, to understand how you interact with our newsletter, and to provide administrative information about our newsletter.