A Harrogate football club that encourages overweight and obese men to get fit and adopt healthy lifestyle choices has helped local men lose 1,000 pounds of excess weight in three years.
MAN v FAT Football Harrogate takes place every Monday evening at King James School and is run in partnership with Harrogate Town In The Community, who lead the sessions.
At MAN v FAT Football sessions, players are weighed, before battling it out on the pitch where the results from matches combine with a player’s individual weight loss throughout a week, to contribute to an overall league table.
The programme isn’t just about losing weight however, with the men taking part also discovering its mental health benefits, while creating new friendships.
The club is looking for more players to join its squads, information about how to sign-up can be found here: https://www.manvfatfootball.org/harrogate
Tom Overton at Harrogate Town AFC CIO, who runs sessions at the club, said:
“We have a really good atmosphere at our sessions. Everyone gets on well. I love the chats I get to have with the players, talking about their week and how they are getting on with their mental health as well as their physical health.
“The social side of the programme is a massive plus for our players and many of them have mentioned how this part of the sessions is one of their favourite aspects.
“They all have busy lives so getting to have conversations outside of talking about work or family matters seems to really help the players.”
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.
To find your closest MAN v FAT Football club, visit: https://www.manvfatfootball.org/Leagues/FindALeague
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