A 31-year-old Gloucester man who says he had had enough of being tired and in pain due to the weight he had put on has now lost a fifth of his body weight – almost five stone – on a local FA accredited health and wellbeing football programme.
Josh Witts, who weighed over 23 stones (148.5kg ) when he began taking part in MAN v FAT Gloucester in April 2024, says joining the club has helped him make a positive change to his lifestyle.
“My confidence to go out to places and not be worried that I was being looked at for being so big has come back,” says Josh. “Being able to keep up with smaller and very energetic members of mine and my partner’s family has given me my smile back, which, over time, had slowly been leaving.”
Gloucester’s MAN v FAT Football club, which meets every Thursday evening at the Oxstalls Sports Park on Tewkesbury Road, has helped 43 local men lose over 42 stone in excess weight between them in the last year.
MAN v FAT is a weight loss initiative that aims to help overweight and obese men with a BMI of over 27.5 lose unwanted weight through weekly football and lifestyle coaching sessions.
At sessions, 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. A team’s total weight loss and match scores then contribute to its position within a club’s overall league table.
Josh says he took the leap to join MAN v FAT after becoming fed up of being the biggest guy in the room.
“I used to be a very active person playing rugby three times a week and other sports, so I was always told it was just my rugby build that was making me big. But after I stopped playing rugby due to an eye condition, I just stopped doing the right things health wise and gained loads of weight but kept telling myself it was the rugby build. I then decided I had had enough of being tired and in pain due to my weight and that I was going to do something about it. That was when I signed up for MAN v FAT.”
And he says he would certainly recommend it to others:
“I enjoy all aspects of MAN v FAT from a health and exercise point of view, the weight loss aspect, from a mental health and wellbeing standpoint and the social aspect, as the people I’ve met inspire me and are now what I would consider great friends.”
Public Health England data published in April 2023 suggests that around 64.5 per cent of adults in Gloucestershire are overweight or obese.*
Richard Crick, Head of MAN v FAT adds: “Josh and all the guys at our Gloucester club have been drawn to our programme through a love of football and being part of a team. What they gone on to achieve both individually and as a key part of the club we have in Gloucester is fantastic.”
“MAN v FAT players regularly tell us about improving their mental health through the programme, not just because of weight loss – but due to the sense of belonging, community and collaboration that team sports can bring.
“Our Gloucester club has spaces for new players, so if you’re looking to make a positive change to your lifestyle, get in touch!”
8,500 men currently take part at more than 150 MAN v FAT Football clubs across the UK. The programme was created to differ from traditional weight loss classes and combines the beautiful game with achievable weight loss goals for men.
Aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, the total amount of weight lost by MAN v FAT players in the UK currently stands at more than 750,000 pounds.
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 free access to a bespoke mental health platform through MAN v FAT partners JAAQ.
2025 will see MAN v FAT expand its offering with the launch of 10 new rugby-based weight loss clubs across the UK. The rugby clubs will follow MAN v FAT’s key principles, offering overweight and obese men the opportunity to lose weight at a sustainable pace, through weekly rugby, health and wellbeing sessions.
Find out more at: https://manvfatrugby.com/