37-stone dad loses 21stone taking up one sport as 'kids missed out'

37-stone dad loses 21stone taking up one sport as 'kids missed out' He was morbidly obese and was avoiding leaving the house A 31-year-old father who reached 37 stone and feared he was a “burden” on his children has shed 21 stone after a gastric bypass – and can now finally run around and play with them. Brendan Broadhead, a product specialist, who is 6ft 1in tall, said he turned to food for “comfort” after becoming a father at age 19 and gradually gained weight. By early 2023, he had reached his heaviest weight of 37st 2lbs (236kg), was wearing a 7XL and was too anxious to leave the house or socialise, losing “lots of friends” along the way. He joined Man v Fat, a football-based weight-loss programme, for the second time later that year and dropped to 26st 10lbs (170kg) before his weight plateaued. Brendan underwent weight loss surgery in October 2025 and now weighs 16st 5lbs (104kg), saying he feels like a “new man”. Brendan, a father of three who lives in Leeds, told PA Real Life: “I still have days where I sit there and I think to myself, ‘Have I done the right thing, by having surgery?’ “Some days I think I’ve put too much restriction on my life at such a young age and I’m never going to be able to have a normal lifestyle, and there are so many risks like becoming malnourished, but I have to remind myself I’ve done it for my kids.” Brendan said that after becoming a father for the first time, at age 19 in 2015, he stopped prioritising himself and turned to food for “comfort”, relying on takeaways. As the years passed and he had another child, he became increasingly anxious and began avoiding social situations. By 2017, he said he lost “many friends” after cancelling plans, and weighed 19st 5lbs (123kg), before reaching 25st 7lbs (162kg) the following year. In 2018, he visited his GP about his weight and was referred to a weight management programme, where he was placed on a waiting list for weight-loss surgery. After his son was born in 2020, Brendan began to realise he needed to make a change. “I’m a big Leeds United fan and I wanted to play football with my son, but knew I couldn’t – that was a big turning point for me,” he explained. He joined Man v Fat, a weight-loss programme for men which involves playing football, in 2021, but only attended for a few months before taking a break while struggling with his mental health. He later tried the keto diet, a low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating plan, but said he often “fell off the wagon”. At the beginning of 2023, Brendan said he reached his heaviest weight of 37st 2lbs (236kg) and was wearing a 7XL. His body mass index (BMI) was 68.6 and he was told by his doctor that he was morbidly obese. He added: “My kids missed out on so much stuff – I didn’t take them to the park because, if they ran and fell over, I wouldn’t be able to run over and make sure they’re alright.” By this point, Brendan said he was “avoiding food”, eating just one meal a day because he was “so conscious” of his size. His daily meal generally consisted of a large takeaway pizza and a kebab. “I felt like I was being a burden on my children. I didn’t want my kids to be getting picked on at school because of my size,” he said. Later that year, Brendan moved back in with his mother after going through a break up, and he lost some weight after cutting down on treats and having more home cooked meals. By May 2023, he had reached 31st 2lbs (198kg) and returned to Man v Fat. He began dropping a “few pounds” each week and said he made “friends for life” through the group. Brendan reached 26st 10lbs (170kg) in 2025 but said his weight plateaued, despite exercising and focusing on eating protein and vegetables. In October 2025, through the NHS, he underwent a gastric bypass, which makes the stomach smaller, and he said this helped accelerate his weight loss while he continued attending Man v Fat. According to the NHS, a gastric bypass is when the stomach is divided in two using a stomach staple. This creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach and the new stomach pouch is then attached to the lower part of the small intestine. After surgery, food passes from the stomach pouch to the lower part of the small intestine. He said: “It was like a massive sigh of relief once my weight was going down and things were finally working and I knew I was going to get my life back.” Brendan now weighs 16st 5lbs (104kg) and wears a size XL, but his BMI is currently 30.2, which is classified as obese. On a typical day, he has a protein shake for breakfast, a salad for lunch and chicken and vegetables for dinner, followed by a protein bar as a snack. “A lot of people think surgery is the easy way out but it isn’t,” Brendan said. “If you’ve pushed yourself and eaten a little bit too much, that’s it, you feel awful and are sick. But I can give my children the life they deserve now.” Since losing weight, Brendan said his life has “changed tremendously”. He no longer feels anxious about leaving the house and is able to play with his children. Brendan has also launched a football team, White Rose Leodis FC, which plays in the Yorkshire XL11’s FA league for men who struggle with their weight. Earlier this month, Brendan joined some of Man v Fat’s other players at the Houses of Parliament for an event celebrating its members losing a combined one million pounds of excess weight. “It just felt amazing to be part of it, and I couldn’t believe I was there,” he explained. Looking ahead, Brendan hopes to reach the healthy BMI range. To others looking to lose weight, he said: “Just go for it – my only regret is that I didn’t do something about it sooner.” For more information, visit: manvfat.com.