For Clinton Warbington of Flower Mound, joining Keller\u2019s Man v Fat Soccer league changed his life. The 40-year-old dad of two and American Airlines pilot was always active, but he gained weight while adjusting to fatherhood and a demanding schedule. He has since lost 20 pounds while adding muscle and now hopes to join the Army National Guard. \u201cMy resting heart rate has gone down to the low 60s,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s been such a drastic, dramatic change.\u201d <\/p>\n
Camaraderie builds accountability<\/p>\n
News Roundups<\/p>\n
By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n Man v Fat Soccer\u2019s premise is simple: play soccer and lose weight. Players weigh in before their 28-minute match<\/a> \u2014 most clubs run three matches a night \u2014 and the scale becomes part of the scoring. Goals on the field still count, but weight loss adds bonus goals based on players\u2019 weekly progress and consistency, while weight gain can give goals to the opposing team. <\/p>\n Gamifying wellness isn\u2019t a new idea \u2014 think Duolingo streaks or closing activity rings on an Apple Watch. Research suggests that tying weight loss to small incentives can help keep people motivated. In a 2025 study<\/a> of overweight and obese adults using a weight-loss app, participants who earned points for social support actions \u2014 such as \u201cliking\u201d another user\u2019s workout or diet tracking \u2014 stuck with the program more. Among those who most consistently used the app, participants who earned points lost more weight than those who didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Men play in a Man v Fat Soccer game on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in The Colony.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Man v Fat Soccer\u2019s points system is what encouraged Jay Lundberg to stick with the program. Lundberg, a 32-year-old plumber from Carrollton, discovered The Colony\u2019s league through social media. He joined in June and quickly set a simple target: lose at least a pound a week. \u201cAt least one pound, it\u2019s tangible,\u201d he says. \u201cIt has been hard at times to lose one pound, but at least you score your goal for your team.\u201d <\/p>\n It\u2019s this accountability to the team that drives many of the men, Williams says. When someone gains weight, it doesn\u2019t just affect his own progress \u2014 it can cost the team a goal. \u201cIf I were losing weight on my own, it\u2019s a lot more difficult because I\u2019m accountable for myself,\u201d says Troy Slinkard, a 32-year-old who lives in Prosper and works for Lockheed Martin. \u201cYou got your whole team to hold you accountable. You\u2019re not only letting yourself down, you\u2019re letting your team down.\u201d <\/p>\n A safe space <\/p>\n Obesity affects men and women at similar rates in the United States \u2014 about 39.2% of men and 41.3% of women from 2021 to 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>. But the cultural conversation around dieting and weight loss tends toward women, and research suggests men are less likely to join weight-loss programs or studies. <\/p>\n Goalie Daniel Rager watches as a shot just misses the goal during a Man v Half Soccer game, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in The Colony.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n A 2012 review of randomized trials<\/a> found men make up only about 27% of participants in weight-loss trials worldwide \u2014 and roughly 22% in the U.S. Researchers say that gap may reflect differences in social pressure and dieting habits, and the fact that men are less likely to seek medical care, making up only about 20% of bariatric surgery patients<\/a> and around 22% of people on anti-obesity drugs<\/a>. Men who do go on anti-obesity drugs are more likely to discontinue them, according to a 2024 study<\/a>. <\/p>\n But a weight-loss program designed with men in mind can have an impact, says Dr. Melissa Shoemaker<\/a>, a preventive medicine physician at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Social support is often underestimated in sustaining weight loss. \u201cIt\u2019s just such a win-win to have someone else to do it with,\u201d she says. \u201cI think there\u2019s definitely a lot of pros for something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s that kind of camaraderie that Man v Fat Soccer tries to embody, Williams says. Men are often expected to handle their weight loss on their own \u2014 to just go to the gym, lift weights and figure it out without much guidance. Man v Fat Soccer, he says, aims to fill that gap, giving men a supportive, judgment-free place to work on their health alongside teammates pursuing the same goals.<\/p>\n Daniel Rager weighs in with coach Anthony Williams as other players wait their turn before a Man v Fat soccer game on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in The Colony.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n That\u2019s what Michael Alves, a high school teacher at the Ursuline Academy of Dallas, appreciates about the program. \u201cI did Weight Watchers and over three years lost 70 pounds,\u201d says Alves, who is 55 and lives in Plano. \u201cI felt very much out of my peer group. It wasn\u2019t that they were opposed to having me there. A lot of times, I was the only man in the sessions. I just really wanted something different.\u201d <\/p>\n Research suggests the program can resonate with men. A 2022 study<\/a> of Man v Fat Soccer in Australia followed 418 overweight men and found most participants viewed the program positively, with about 96% saying they would recommend it. Over a 15-week season, men lost about 4.6% of their body weight on average and reported being more physically active and feeling less depressed and stressed as well as more positive about their bodies. <\/p>\n![\"Men](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ZY7SQWVFUFGH5NRMLBI6KKFPEE.jpg\")
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