Officials in Dubai are giving their residents the golden opportunity to lose weight. Literally. As part of a community initiative, people living in Dubai are being offered one gram of gold for every kilogram of weight they lose in a bid to curb an ongoing obesity epidemic.
Dubai Municipality has launched the initiative under the slogan "Your Weight In Gold." Promoters of the plan say they are doing supporting the initiative to lead the way to healthier lifestyles and encourage members of society to achieve and then maintain their optimal body weight.
"We would highly encourage everyone from all walks of life to take part in this great initiative and hope [our] contribution...of gold coins will help motivate individuals reach the final target of improving and sustaining a healthy lifestyle and consequently a better qualify of life," said Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of Dubai Multi Commodities Center (DMCC), a co-sponsor of the initiative.
According to CorpComm Magazine, in 2012, the United Arab Emirates, a collection of seven emirates, one of which is Dubai, was ranked the fifth most obese country in the world. Reportedly 7 in 10 men and women living in Dubai are classified as overweight - arguably the leading cause of preventable death.
Dubai's growing obesity epidemic has reportedly been blamed on many different factors. Among them: lack of exercise, partly as a result of the heat; loose clothing that masks the problem; fast food and other unhealthy eating options; and a lifestyle slowly evolving from active to increasingly sedentary since oil became a hot commodity in the 1960s.
In a bid to turn things around, those in Dubai are being presented with the "Your Weight In Gold" initiative. Beginning Friday, July 19, all people living in Dubai are invited to take part in the initial weigh-in and to register for the campaign, which will run for one month. It's not a coincidence that the month coincides with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and its related practice of dawn-to-dusk fasting.
"Ramadan is the most appropriate season to launch such initiatives as it reminds us about many health benefits of reducing weight and encourages us to take strong steps to change our bad lifestyles," said Eng. Hussain Lootah, General Director of Dubai Municipality.
For every kilogram lost during the month, contestants will be paid one gram of gold - the equivalent of approximately $45 USD. To qualify for winning the loot, those involved must lose a minimum of two kilograms.
The top three contestants who have lost the most weight by the final weigh-in on Aug. 16 will receive a share of approximately $28,000 in gold.
The city, which has partnered with Dubai Gold & Jewelry Group and Dubai Multi Commodities Center, says there is no cap to the gold payouts, according to a report from ABC News.
"It depends how much the people are expecting to lose," Lootah said. "We have not set a limit."