MAN V FAT Football: ​Footballers in Northern Ireland embracing new way to lose weight and enjoy their favourite sport

​The 30 men who take part in the MAN v FAT Football programme in east Belfast compete as teams in league where their weekly weight loss is added to the scores in their football matches.

So far this year they have lost 160 pounds as a result of their weekly games and a healtier lifestyle.

Aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, MAN v FAT Football has more than 8,000 players taking part in over 150 clubs across the UK.

The local teams – with names like Club Hugge and Fatburn Rovers – play every Wednesday evening at Blanchflower Playing Fields on Holywood Road.

Organisers have extended an invitation to potential new players, who may wish to make a positive change to their lifestyle through the football-based programme.

MAN v FAT Football Belfast coach Gareth Lynch said: "We're so proud of the progress made by the players and the wider team at our Belfast club.

"The men involved are genuinely changing their lives for the better by improving their physical and mental health, while making new friends and having fun in the process.

"MAN v FAT isn't a lose-fat-fast programme, we encourage body positivity and losing weight at a healthy, sustainable pace.

"While weight loss is the key goal for players, the programme is perfect for men who want to get back into playing football after time away from the game and improve their fitness gradually.

"We're looking for new players to join our club, so if you think MAN v FAT might be for you, get in touch.”

Find out more about MAN v FAT Football Belfast at www.manvfatfootball.org/belfasteast

The programme was created by Andrew Shanahan from Cheshire, 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.

The total amount of weight lost by MAN v FAT players in the UK currently stands at over 550,000 pounds.

Before matches, players are weighed, 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.

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.

Public Health data published in January 2023 suggests that around a quarter of Northern Ireland's adult population is living with obesity.

There are over 20 million overweight and obese men in the UK, accounting for nearly seven out of every 10 men.

Recent research from the National Food Strategy review estimates that every unit of body mass index put on by every individual raises the United Kingdom's annual healthcare costs by £16.