MAN v FAT Liverpool player rewarded by Everton for losing eight stones

Keith Paterson was in rude health after his VIP reward for an award-winning weight loss programme ended with his beloved Blues beating Leeds.

The lifelong Everton fan is nearly half the man he used to be after shedding an incredible eight stones with the help of MAN v FAT, which encourages overweight males to shape up while playing football.

Keith, who hails from Liverpool but now resides in Upholland, submitted a winning case study to an online campaign run by MANvFAT, who contacted the Club to seek a suitable reward for their member’s amazing achievement.

And the Club was delighted to throw their weight behind Keith by offering the 42-year-old two matchday tickets for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Leeds, when the Toffees tipped the scales in their own favour with a welcome win.

Keith, who told his story to a wider audience on the Club’s live pre-match show, said:

“It was a great day, topped off with a perfect result, so thank you for the experience.”

Participants in the unique MANvFAT network compete in small-sided games in local leagues, with each player’s weight loss directly impacting on their team’s performance, as individuals work to score goals both on and off the pitch.

Men with a Body Mass Index of over 27.5 are eligible to sign up to the programme, which results in over 90% of participants reporting positive results.

Keith, pictured with daughter Lily, added: “It’s been a long road for me to get to this point. I was unhappy about my weight and I’d tried diets, personal trainers and hadn’t enjoyed any of them, but found MANvFAT online and always enjoyed football, so thought I’d give it a go.

“It’s a really supportive group and everyone has the same goal in mind. Football has to be fun, no matter how you play it and it’s good to see how the lads have progressed every week.

“Some struggle at first, but then you see them five or six weeks later and they have lost weight, they’ve got confidence and they are smashing it, on and off the pitch.

“I’ve lost just over eight stone and I’m so much happier and more active now than I was.”

Richard Crick, Head of MANvFAT, added:

“We’d like to thank Everton so much for recognising one of their biggest fan’s amazing achievements.

“Keith’s journey is a great example to the MAN v FAT community across the UK on what can be achieved through the programme.  

“Seeing Keith gleefully getting interviewed on the side of the Goodison pitch was fantastic to watch and is a glowing testament to his eight stone weight loss.

“We’re delighted to say we now have a club within 30 minutes of almost everywhere in the UK, so if you are male, over 18 and have a BMI of 27.5 or above, MAN v FAT can support you! Simply visit www.manvfatfootball.org to get involved!”