(Reuters) - Dubai's government will pay residents in gold for losing those extra kilograms as part of a government campaign to fight growing obesity in the United Arab Emirates.
The 30-day weight-loss challenge was launched on Friday to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful must not eat and drink during daylight hours.
For every kilogram dropped by August 16, contestants can take home a gram of gold, currently worth about $42, Dubai's civic authority announced as part of its 'Your Weight in Gold' initiative. Additionally, the top three dieters will be able to participate in a draw to win $ 28,000 in gold coins.
"Participants must have excess weight to reduce and must not use unhealthy methods to lose weight. To qualify for the contest, they must be present on the final day to measure weight and must lose a minimum 2 kilograms" Dubai Municipality said in a press release.
The winners will be announced at the final weigh-in on Aug. 16.
“It’s a good idea. Gold is gold and money is money,” laughed Mona al Hamadi, a 29-year-old executive, who is looking forward to the challenge. “I will join tomorrow. We are eating more and more,” she added.
That is statistically true all over the Arab Gulf, home to some of the most obese populations in the world, according to a recent United Nations report, which rated the percentage of obesity in Kuwait at 42 percent, Saudi Arabia at 35 percent, the United Arab Emirates at 33 percent and Qatar at 33 percent. Comparatively, the growing obesity rate in the United States is 35.7 percent.
Child obesity is also a growing problem. Last week, medical experts released a study of 1,400 schoolchildren in the neighboring Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which found that one out of every three children is obese.
Health officials in Dubai and in neighboring Gulf nations are spending millions to control obesity among their citizens.
Analysts blame lack of exercise, fast food, overuse of cars and affluence for the overweight. Just over half a century ago nomadic Bedouin desert farmers and coastal dwellers populated the UAE - but the discovery of oil changed all that in the 1960s. With oil came money and an urban, affluent lifestyle that lacks an exercise culture, according to the World Health Organization.
Hussain Lootah, director-general of the Dubai Municipality, said the campaign is aimed at encouraging people to use the walking tracks and exercise machines available for public use in Dubai’s parks. But, that might be hard in a city where temperatures routinely top 38 Celsius. The “Let’s Walk” initiative in 2011 offered cars as prizes to those who lost weight by walking Dubai’s parks
Thanks to partnerships with the Dubai Gold and Jewelry Group and the Dubai Multi Commodities Center, the city says there is no cap on the gold prize. “It depends on how much the people are expecting to lose. We have not set a limit,” Hussain Lootah, Dubai’s director general, explained.
Sources: Reuters KMBZ and NBCnews
