The Big League

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BBC Radio 4 - The Big League

The football league for big players aiming to transform their lives.

The football league for overweight players aiming to transform their lives by losing weight and talking openly about their mental health. Can they reach their goals?

Real Madras, Borussia Moobsandbackfat, OB City, Man Titty, Inter PieAmi, Pork Vale, ScranMere Rovers - all real teams that play in the big league.

Man Vs Fat is a football league designed to help men lose weight.

The league says it has helped around 23,000 men lose 601,288lbs since it started in 2016. But dropping a few belt notches is not the only thing that has transformed lives

Men talking about their mental health is still typically rare - Jay Unger has struggled with his own weight and has played in Man V Fat for a few years.

Being part of a fat football community, has helped him and thousands of other men to open up about their mental health and get through some of the most difficult situations in their life

Some of the stories are really heart-breaking and difficult to listen to - but ultimately the men in Newport, North Tyneside and Edinburgh Jay meets tell him how a community, brought together by football, has helped them reshape their lives..

Presenter: Jay Unger
Producer: Jay Unger
Editor: Richard McIlory
A BBC Audio North Production

If you’ve been affected by some of the issues raised, details of organisations that can provide support relating to feelings of despair, addiction and mental health, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

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