MAN v FAT lines up Koa Health to support its members’ mental health

London, June 16, 2022: Weight loss community MAN V FAT has selected Koa Health, a leading global provider of digital mental healthcare solutions, to support and improve its members’ mental health. The partnership comes during Men’s Health Week (June 13th-19th), the theme of which this year is men giving themselves an MOT to check in with their bodies and minds.

With research showing that men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women, with only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies for men, MAN v FAT will be offering a version of Koa Foundations, Koa Health’s flagship digital-first, self-help app, to its nearly 10,000 members.

Koa Foundations, available to more than 3 million users worldwide, improves access to mental health support. Offering more than a wellbeing app, Koa Health includes content covering a range of common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, as well as general wellbeing such as stress, burnout, relaxation, sleep and more. The app offers users a breadth of evidence-based interventions and activities from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), Positive Psychology and more, with clinical trials showing significant benefits to users in just two weeks of use.

MAN v FAT has been helping men across the UK lose weight since 2014 through its online resources and real-life weight loss programmes, including MAN V FAT Football, which combines weekly weigh-ins and small-sided league games with qualified referees, trophies and medals. Since the football programme launched in 2016, more than 430,000lb have been shed collectively - equating to more than 40,000 footballs.

Initially a weight loss programme, MAN v FAT has become a wide ranging wellbeing offer for men of all ages. Koa Health was chosen to bolster its offering due to its first-class reputation in providing mental health and wellbeing solutions, and the platform’s modules aligning closely with the needs of the MAN v FAT community.

David Quinn, Cardiff-based member of MAN v FAT said: “At MAN v FAT not only are we supported in reaching our physical weight targets, we’re also encouraged to open up and talk about our mental health and any issues that we’re facing. From ensuring that all MAN v FAT staff are trained mental health first aiders to providing digital services such as Koa Foundations, MAN v FAT is much more than a weight loss club. It’s a community which has truly changed my life in so many ways and I feel like a completely different man from the person I was when I started.”

Dr. Oliver Harrison, CEO at Koa Health said: “We’re delighted to announce our new partnership with MAN v FAT. There is a direct link between our physical and mental health, and it’s important that we all look after both for optimal wellbeing. MAN v FAT has achieved huge results in helping men lose weight and improve their physical fitness, and Koa Health will support them further on their fitness journey through its broad range of mental health and wellbeing content now available to all members. Accessed directly through their mobile device, Koa Foundations is the ideal tool proven to make a difference for people who may not need or immediately choose a talking therapy to support their mental health and wellbeing.”

Richard Crick, Head of MAN v FAT added: “We want to offer men all the support and tools they need to improve both their physical and mental health. We take a fuss free approach, and partnering with Koa Health was a no-brainer. Offering Koa Foundations will further help our members to take good care of their own mental health through their smartphones with an app that’s been proven to work.”

ENDS

Contacts

Koa Health Press Office: KoaHealthUK@missive.co.uk

About Koa Health

Koa Health is a leading digital platform for workplace mental health, helping business leaders care for high-performing teams. Backed by investors including Telefónica, Ancora Finance Group and Wellington Partners, Koa Health’s solutions are comprehensive, credible and conclusive. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Koa Health has operations in Barcelona, the US and the UK. Koa Health partners with leading clinicians and academics including Massachusetts General Hospital, University College of London, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

For more information, please visit www.koahealth.com

About MAN v FAT

MAN v FAT Football now runs over 170 male weight loss clubs, supporting over 8,000 men across the UK and Australia. MAN v FAT also supports more than 1.6 million men a year through their website (www.manvfat.com) and social media (www.facebook.com/manvfat, www.twitter.com/manvfat, www.instagram.com/manvfat, www.youtube.com/user/manvfat). To date, men on the programme have lost over 430,000lbs in weight and have created one of the UK’s largest male only wellbeing communities.