Posted on 13th Feb
Mansfield and Warsop MP Ben Bradley joined fellow MPs to take part in a football match against players and staff from MAN v FAT, a men’s health organisation that has already helped over 15,000 men across the UK tackle obesity.
MAN v FAT football clubs are specifically aimed at overweight and obese men with a BMI of higher than 27.5. According to health survey for England statistics, approximately 28.0% of adults in England are obese and a further 36.2% are overweight but not obese.
Prior to the game, Ben was interested to hear how MAN v FAT, an FA-affiliated scheme, currently has more than 8,000 players taking part in over 170 clubs across the UK. The total amount of weight lost by MAN v FAT players in the UK currently stands at nearly 500,000 pounds. Locally, there is a MAN v FAT club in Mansfield, which meets on Monday evenings.
Before matches, 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. Weight loss and match scores then contribute to teams’ league positions within a club. Players receive additional support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.
Ben said: “I was pleased to support MAN v FAT. I was really interested to learn about the transformative effect that the programme is having for so many men around the country. At a time when obesity is a real problem, it’s great that these initiatives exist to bring people together through a common passion such as football and do such a great job nationally of motivating people to lose weight through sport.
“Although I had to play in an outfield position, instead of my usual role in goal, I’m glad that we still won the game 6-5 and I’m looking forward to meeting the Man v Fat team again in the future for another game with UK Parliament FC!”
Richard Crick, head of MAN v FAT, said: “It was a great match played in good spirits and it was a great opportunity for us to show the MPs first-hand the success that MAN v FAT is having in improving levels of wellbeing and the difference that the programme is making but to players all around the country.”
Players can join up at www.manvfat.com/football
