'Man V Fat' football programme is helping men in Derby lose weight
Video report and words by ITV News Central Correspondent Phil Brewster
A six-a-side football programme is helping men in Derby shed the pounds.
Man V Fat encourages men of all ages and sizes to combine football with healthy nutrition as part of a plan to help them lose weight.
Since beginning in April 2021, around 50 men have lost a combined weight of 30 stone.
Among those who've joined is Tom Mackenzie.
His diet consisted largely of crisps and sugary snacks, and he constantly felt sluggish. But since signing up the weight has dropped off.
He says: "I was just over 26 stone when I came. And now last week I'd lost five stone overall, so just about the 21 stone mark now."Before each Monday night session the players step on the scales to see how they're progressing.
For added motivation, extra goal bonuses are handed out to players and teams who've lost the most weight.
It ties in with the programme's slogan - 'Football - where losers win.'
The FA-affiliated scheme, which now has 6,000 players at over 100 clubs across the UK, was created by Andrew Shanahan.
He noticed that traditional weight loss classes were primarily aimed at women, and decided to develop a programme that combines football with achievable weight loss goals for men.
After piling on the pounds last year, Liam Seeds signed up to Man V Fat in January. So far he's lost almost 10% of his body weight.
He says: "I started at 19-and-a-half stone and I want to get down to about 14 stone."
Steven James, who coaches the Derby club says: "Man V Fat isn't just about losing weight, it's about enjoying sport in a friendly environment, learning about healthy lifestyle, improving your diet - and making new friends.
"We have spaces for new players at the Derby club and we will be with you every step of the way."According to Public Health England data covering the year up to April 2021, the percentage of adults classified as overweight or obese in Derbyshire stands at 66.8%, compared to the national average of 62.8%.