Fitness focused footballers from Weymouth have shed a quarter of a tonne in weight thanks to a healthy lifestyle programme.
MAN v FAT Weymouth encourages overweight and obese men to get fit and adopt healthy lifestyle choices with the club helping 32 local men lose over 260kg (42 stone) in excess weight in the last twelve months.
The fitness focused football games take place every Monday evening at Redlands Community Sports Hub on Dorchester Road.
According to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, 65.4 per cent of adults in Dorset are overweight or obese and Weymouth MAN v FAT coach Key Ayling explained how the club is more than just about weight loss and football.
He said: “We have a fantastic club, Weymouth can be a quiet and seasonal seaside town, but the lads are great and have high attendance and enthusiasm in all weather.
“The club is about much more than just weight loss, we have built a fantastic community that socialises regularly, whether it’s cold water swimming in the sea or meeting in the pub to chat tactics for matches.
"We have taken part in charity football matches raising money for the local hospital's children's ward.
“The lads have made friends for life and a great support network for one another. We would like to get as many people to join our community as possible, to keep growing the amount of teams that we have.”
MAN v FAT Football currently has 8,200 players taking part in more than 150 leagues across the UK.
The programme was created by Andrew Shanahan who wanted to create weight loss classes that combined the beautiful game with achievable weight loss goals for men after becoming fed up with traditional weight loss classes aimed at woman.
At sessions, players are weighed, followed by a 30-minute game of six-a-side football, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on their weight loss.
A team’s total weight loss and match scores then contribute to their league position within a club.
In addition to football sessions, MAN v FAT players also receive off-the-pitch support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.
Players also get full access to MAN v FAT online gym, so they can train in their own time at home.
More information about how to sign-up can be found here: https://www.manvfatfootball.org/weymouth
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