With his own story of overcoming obesity very much the inspiration for the initiative, Andrew Shanahan is the brain child of ‘Man V Fat’, a football league aimed at the everyday obese male looking for a way to improve their heath alongside those with similar statures.
Members have to be exclusively over 30 BMI, points are given for the winning team as in any form of football, rather ingeniously, extra points are rewarded for the amount of weight lost from its members. On top of all that competition is completely free.
Great stuff we think you’ll agree.
Talking to the Daily Mail, 37-year-old Andrew revealed that he first came up with the idea after becoming jaded with the usual weight loss classes.
I was shocked at how little support blokes get for weight loss. There was no help for me, and all the classes seemed tailored to womens’ needs.
“I remember going to a Weight Watchers meeting and I was the only guy there. It was embarrassing and I was so out of my depth. That’s why men fail. Blokes think if they are going to lose weight they need to run a marathon or do some Spartan event. That’s the wrong path. You should change how you eat, change your attitude to your lifestyle. And you need support.
Jay Ali, a 32-year-old bank manager by day, explained just why the league has proved so popular with guys that have weight issues.
“I didn’t want to play football with my friends who are all fitter than me, so this gives me the perfect opportunity to exercise with guys who are the same as me. No one judges you. It’s a brilliant idea that has exceeded my expectations. It doesn’t matter if you have a body like Cristiano Ronaldo, or if you’re a size XXXL.
Whilst the maiden competition is currently based in Solihull, with enough support, the initiative hopes to spread to other location around the UK.
Superb stuff.
Here’s a video of the lads in action.
