Banbury footballers shed more than 25 stones of unhealthy weight in twelve months

MAN v FAT Banbury takes place every Sunday evening and the club’s organisers are currently looking for new players to take part.

An estimated 60% of people aged 18 or over in Oxfordshire are classified as overweight or obese, according to the Oxfordshire County Council Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, which could equate to as many as 24,500 adults in Banbury.

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

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, 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 more than 650,000 pounds. It is aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5. A 14-week funded spot is available for those with an Oxfordshire County Council postcode.

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 within a club.

Banbury MAN v FAT coach George Millward says:

“We have seen an increase in new sign ups this year bringing a whole new range of people into the club. Some are here for a weight loss journey, some come for the social aspect, we have ages and weights ranging from highest to the lowest, which I think creates a really good bond within the club. More than I’ve seen in my year and a half here, we have also had many people hitting their 5 and 10% weight loss targets all the way up to one man who hit his 15% weight loss target in just one season.”

And, says George, the club has a greater effect on that majority of players more than just pure weight loss:

“I can see what the smiles and laughs each Sunday brings to a lot of the lads; a lot of players seem in a happy mental state at the club. We’ve recently had a player complete the London Marathon, which was a great achievement for him and his family, and the charity for which he was raising money. We have players saying MAN v FAT is improving both their physical and mental health, so we are helping with a wide range of needs.”

And now the club is looking towards further growth:

“Over the next year, we would like to keep increasing our numbers and move to a four-team league,” continues George.

“We are ready to take on more players and improve the lives for more men within Oxfordshire. This would create more competitiveness on the pitch and scales and would create a bigger group of people for players to bounce ideas off of for weight loss and to keep each other motivated.”

MAN v FAT Football Head of Football, Richard Crick explains: “We’re so proud of the progress made by the players and the wider team at our Banbury 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, without the stress of getting a group together and booking pitches.

“We’re looking for new players to join the Banbury club, so if you think MAN v FAT might be for you, get in touch.”

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.

For more information, visit: https://wwmanvfatfootball.org/banbury