FOOTBALL enthusiasts across Somerset have lost more than two tonnes of weight in the last year thanks to leagues across the county.

Man v Fat football leagues across Taunton, Bridgwater Yeovil and Weston saw 225 people taking part in the last 12 months, losing a combined 4,400 pounds.

The FA-affiliated scheme is aimed at overweight and obese men, and was created by Andrew Shanahan after he became fed-up with traditional weight loss classes aimed primarily at women.

According to Public Health England data covering the year up to April 2020, around 65.8% of adults in Somerset are overweight or obese, slightly higher than the national average of 62.3%.

Before Man v Fat matches, the players are weighed, which is followed by a 30-minute game of six-a-side, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on the amount of weight players have lost.

Stuart McGarry has been taking part in the Weston league since July 2017, and dropped from 150kg (330 pounds) to 97kg (213 pounds) with the help of the programme. 

He said: “I would recommend MAN v FAT to anyone who is feeling no diet is working and they want to do something they enjoy but also have a great support network around them to succeed.

"The Weston leagues has a great network of guys who want to support each other and that helps when you’re having a bad week - the other guys are there for an extra game of football or a walk down the seafront to help.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Pritchard, who plays in Man v Fat's Taunton league lost over 25kg (55 pounds) after 18 months taking part in the league, while he was also training for the Three Peaks Challenge.

Andrew said: “Man v Fat has helped me turn my lifestyle around. I would recommend it to anyone and certainly now see it as a positive routine in my week playing football on Sunday mornings and the motivation I take with me throughout the week to nudge the weight down a bit more each week.

“The central team and ethos of the whole programme make you feel part of a community, combined with the gentle encouragement of the coaches, and the non-judgemental and accepting approach of other players make it a great place to be.”

The Taunton, Bridgwater and Weston leagues all have spaces for new players.

Players can join up at www.manvfat.com/football and they can get more information by calling 0345 163 1042 or emailing football@manvfat.com