Possibly; but it is a typically sportsman / laddish pisstake. When I meet up with my university mates, and we’re fairly self selecting I’ll admit because a lot of my university social life was based around football, it’s all pisstaking – who’s gained timber, who’s got a stupid beard, wtf did you get that shirt from, etc. When Steve Bruce meets up with his ex colleagues for sure Roy Keane will be giving it out 10x what we’re doing which is really pointing it out. Doesn’t make it ‘right’ but in the grand scheme of world ills, I’ve others to sort first.
As for the how. I don’t care what people say about food in vs energy burned, some people have slower burn rates than others; we all know someone who can’t walk past a bakers without gaining weight, other who can say the contents of it with no effect. Some players clearly are the same and have to work hard to keep themselves at weight all through their careers. Luke Shaw seems to be one of the current crop, Gazza, big Nev, etc. When they played they’d have put most of us on here to shame physically, but once they don’t need to take care any more, if they want to enjoy life without running 7 miles a day, who’s to say they can’t. Others enjoy being supremely fit and will cling to a version of that as long as they can. I wish id stayed slim and fit, coming back to sport and reversing 15 years of rich living is far harder.
Just expect Keano to pat your belly next time you meet rather than ignore it.