TAUNTON’S first Man v Fat football league has seen 50 players lose a combined 226kg over the 10-week initiative.

The inaugural 10-week league competition, won by team K.FC, saw more than 20 lose more than 5 per cent of their starting body weight.

Man v Fat Football is an FA and Sport England-approved weight loss programme for overweight and obese men based around a six-a-side football league where every player has the opportunity to influence the overall results through a unique scoring system that awards additional goals based on individual and team weight loss.

Leagues have been running in Somerset for since May 2016 and in that time local men have lost more than 3.5 tonnes in weight and made countless improvements in their health and fitness including reducing, and in some cases, eliminating conditions such as type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol and even gout.

Jack Murphy, 23, of Taunton, said: “Taking part in this league has made a difference to my life.

“When I signed up I thought it would be a bit of a kickabout and a diet but this has changed my whole mentality to what I eat and do but I’ve already lost more a stone in weight and am really enjoying taking part.”

The Taunton league takes place at 1610 Castle Sports Centre on Sunday mornings between 10am and noon and is open to all men aged 16+ with a BMI over 27.5.

Anyone interested can sign up by visiting the league homepage on www.manvfatfootball.org/taunton or email roger@manvfat.com for more information.