In the United Kingdom, the obesity rate has almost doubled since the 1990s. To combat this, initiatives are multiplying. In Manchester, somewhat special football matches are played aimed at overweight people. Extract from the magazine “We, the Europeans”.
The finding is alarming. Nearly one in two adults are overweight in France, according to an Inserm study from February 2023. On the other side of the Channel, the situation is also worrying, with an obesity rate which has almost doubled since the 1990s.
Our British neighbors take this very seriously and are increasing initiatives to combat obesity: specialized services in hospitals, “junk food” less highlighted in supermarkets, home coaches, great chefs at school… teams of “We, the Europeans” (X) looked at another equally original idea: a football match with slightly special rules.
“When we add the points on the scale and on the field, we get the final score”
Head to Manchester, in the north of England, for a football match like no other. To be part of the club, there is only one condition: having a body mass index greater than 27.5, the threshold above which being overweight is considered dangerous for health.
All players therefore have a few extra pounds and want to lose weight. “The advantage with football is that you don’t feel like you’re playing sport.“, confides one of them. And to motivate them to exercise, there is a rather original rule. “Every time they lose weight, that’s half a point for the team and every time they lose 5% of their weight, that’s three points. When we add the points on the scale and on the field, we obtain the final score“, explains Stuart Normansell, coach of the MAN v FAT club.
Some have really melted since joining the club. “I lost 30 kilos. I’m 40, I feel like I’m 30. I’ve lost ten years, that’s not bad“, proudly reveals Daniel Whiteley. Since the creation of the first club seven years ago, more than 20,000 men have lost weight thanks to football in the United Kingdom.
Extract from “United Kingdom: the war against obesity”, to be seen in “We, the Europeans” on October 5, 2023.
> Replays of France Télévisions news magazines are available on the Franceinfo website and its mobile application (iOS & Android), “Magazines” section.