A man who says he ‘didn’t want to be around any more’ after his 21-stone weight left him in constant agony says he has learnt to love himself again after joining a group and losing 84lbs. Ian McLaren, now 41, used to ‘live and breathe’ football until he suffered a knee injury at the age of 16 – and started to gain weight while he couldn’t exercise for 18 months.
His weight climbed to 21 stone and Ian was left injecting himself once a month to fight the pain in his joints. Ian, from Wrexham, said:“Up to the age of 16 I lived and breathed football, then I had a serious knee injury and had 18 months of no exercise and the weight started to pile on.
“I tried to come back but could not get levels I got before so I just gave up. Every time I tried to play, I was too slow and unfit. Alongside this I started to suffer from depression and low self-esteem. I was at an extremely low point with mental health, questioning should I even be here, I felt a drain on everyone and a let-down to my two daughters as I couldn’t run around and play them.
“This coupled with suffering from psoriatic arthritis where I was injecting myself once a month with medication to help with the aches and pains and I really didn’t want to be around anymore. Then at my lowest point I had taken my daughters swimming and when talking to the receptionist, I picked up a flyer for MAN v FAT Football. I truly believe that moment saved my life.
“l joined MAN v FAT with the idea to just lose some weight doing something I enjoyed. I hoped that with it being a weight loss programme that there would be others in a similar position to me. The first week I was supposed to go I had crippling anxiety where I questioned if I was good enough or if people accept me, so much so I made excuses and didn’t turn up.
“The following week I forced myself to go and was blown away with what I found. A group of lads who really welcomed me in and helped me feel part of things from the very first moment. A group of strangers who were open and honest about their own journeys and experiences.
“It probably helped in my first game that I scored all four goals in a four all draw (I haven’t scored four goals in total since then, so just a massive fluke!) From there I continued religiously, forming friendships, and finding the weight falling away. The off-field goals really helped this as I am so competitive that if I couldn’t perform on the pitch, I was determined to help the lads off it. I found the weight loss became secondary though and my actual mental health improved massively.
“My diet has changed. I have gone from no exercise to playing football several times a week. I am part of a group of lads who I would never have met but who are such an important part of my life. Symptoms of my arthritis have significantly improved – I can play with my kids.
“I actually found I started to like myself again and most of all – I feel happy.
Around 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.
Designed for overweight and obese men with a BMI of above 27.5, at a typical MAN v FAT session, players are weighed, before battling it out on the pitch where results from matches combine with a player’s individual weight loss throughout a week. Individual weight loss results and scores on the pitch then contribute to a team’s position in a club’s overall league table.
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 receive off-the-pitch support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.
In addition to football sessions, MAN v FAT players 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.