All you need to make it through life is motivation and lots of it. The source of motivation varies from person to person. To some success is the motivation, to some the feeling of accomplishment, and to others, money is all the motivation they need. Some lucky employees in China have that motivation to lose weight.
The head of an investment consulting firm in Xian City, Wang Xuebao just announced a cash reward system for the employees who lose weight. Like a lot of other weird things in China, this one brought him to international headlines.
The Xian Jingtian Investment Consulting employees are promised 100 yuan ($15) for every kilo of body weight that they lose. Wang Xuebao noticed that he and his employees were spending too much time behind the desk without moving enough. Lack of activity along with the unhealthy diet of the fast life had made a lot of them to put up excess weight.
Talking about the matter with CN West, Wang said, “I was distressed because our company’s employees are often sitting in the office, and they don’t move around enough – myself included – so they are overweight. Through this weight-loss activity, we can form a culture and engage in healthy competition.”
The program was launched in March, and it has so far made more than half of the firm’s employees lose weight. People have begun to adopt healthier lifestyles, going to the gym more often, and eating healthier food. The motivation may be money, but the result is positive nonetheless. One of the female employees, Zhou Wei, has dropped 20 kilograms of weight, winning 2,000 yuan ($300) in cash bonus. The program has led her to visit the gym every day and move towards a healthier diet.
To win your cash bonus, you have to prove to the firm that you have lost a minimum of 3 kg, and half of the firm’s employees have managed to achieve that. While Wang’s idea proved quite efficient in achieving its purpose, he has been unable to earn a reward yet. If you have lots of money already, a few hundred yuans in just not motivating enough.
The obesity rates in China are reaching epidemic levels, and estimates suggest that one of every four Chinese kids will be obese by 2030. If you are fat, and an employee at Xian Jingtian, you could be getting richer. Even if you are not, you could at least be getting richer in health, and honestly, that matters the most.
We can not say if the program could lead people to a mad weight loss mania, and push them to the limits of anorexia. Until it does, we might want to learn a lesson or two.
