Sixty six men have lost 1,000lbs in 12 months after joining a football club which tackles obesity.
MAN v FAT Football Bolton takes place every Wednesday from 7pm at North West School on Newby Road and is aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5.
Overall, the club has more than 8,500 players across the UK, taking part in excess of 170 clubs.
It was created by Andrew Shanahan, who, fed-up with traditional weight loss classes primarily aimed at women, decided to develop a programme that combines the beautiful game with achievable weight loss goals for men.
Before matches, players are weighed, and this is followed by a 30-minute game of six-a-side football, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on their weight loss.
Weight loss and match scores then contribute to teams’ league positions within a club.
Andrew Partington, who plays at the Bolton club, has lost more than six stone with the help of MAN v FAT Football.
He said: “MAN v FAT helped me realise that weight loss starts with your mindset, not just with food and exercise.
“I’ve made a group of new friends, reconnected with my passion for football and lost some serious weight.
“At MAN v FAT you join a community that doesn’t just focus on weight loss but mental health and support in other areas that I feel a lot of the most weight loss programmes lack.
“My mental health is the best it’s ever been, and my confidence has gone through the roof. MAN v FAT has literally changed my life.”
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 an online gym, so they can train in their own time at home.
Elle Cody, the regional coordinator for MAN v FAT in the North, said: “We are extremely proud of the goals being scored on and off the pitch by everyone involved at the town’s club, 2022 was an incredible year for the programme in Bolton."
The total amount of weight lost by MAN v FAT players in the UK currently stands at more than 500,000lbs.
To find your closest MAN v FAT Football club, go here.
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