Harnessing the draw of professional sports clubs to improve health and wellbeing
Rising obesity levels challenge public health. Men are particularly at risk but under-served by existing weight management programmes. UofG researchers developed Football Fans in Training (FFIT), a weight management and healthy lifestyle programme delivered through professional football clubs.
The research
Between 2010–2013, a UofG-led team developed FFIT—a 12-week, group-based, weight management programme for men delivered over 12 weekly sessions in professional football clubs by trained club coaches.
FFIT works by first attracting men through their interest in football and then supporting them to lose weight by incorporating small, incremental physical activity and dietary changes into daily life.
The UofG team conducted an evaluation of FFIT, with key outcomes 12 months after enrolment including: weight loss, cardiovascular disease risk reduction, improvements in physical activity, dietary intake, alcohol consumption and self-esteem.
A follow-up study showed that participants had sustained weight loss and improvements in most behavioural and psychological outcomes at 3.5 years, thus demonstrating that FFIT produces excellent long-term outcomes.
The Impact
Since 2016, the UofG team has worked with the Scottish Professional Football League Trust to develop a franchise-model, which allows the worldwide rollout of FFIT. FFIT-for-women is now delivered alongside the original programme.
People report that FFIT has transformed their lives. One participant said: “My life was a bit of a mess. 59 years old, feeling at least 10 years older, grossly overweight and gaining daily. Six months later, I have turned 60 years old and now feel at least 10 years younger, 5 stones lighter and losing daily”.
Between the 2013/14 and 2018/19 football seasons, FFIT was successfully delivered in 38 of the 42 professional football clubs in Scotland to 3,665 men and 1,567 women. Mean weight loss after FFIT was 4.6% (men) and 3.7% (women).
Between 2014–2020, FFIT expanded to 11 countries and 4 sports, including rugby, Australian Rules football and ice hockey.
In total, the FFIT franchise, UofG research and various collaborations have resulted in over 10,000 men in 11 countries benefitting from healthy lifestyle programmes delivered in professional sports clubs.