It was on July 17 when a new weight loss competition began. But unlike competitive shedding of pesky pounds in reality TV shows like The Biggest Loser, this contest involves the masses, and is a do-it-at-your-own-pace in one Middle Eastern country – Dubai.

And one more thing – the price is literal gold.

Your Weight in Gold Program

Dubai’s government authorities officially launched “Your Weight in Gold” in the face of rising obesity rates in the Middle East. The program’s goal was to encourage obese citizens to improve their lifestyles so they could slim down and be healthier. Those who shed off more pounds are given real gold – about 27 pounds worth for every two kilograms lost. The catch is, participants have to lose at least 2 kilograms or 4.4 pounds to qualify for gold.

The said weight loss competition drew a large crowd of masses willing to undergo the five-week challenge.

And the Winner Is…

The month is up for Dubai dieters fighting for “the gold”. After five weeks of trying to lose those pesky pounds, dieters from the emirate have been recently weighed in to determine who has lost the most.

According to Mona Ossama, a weigh-off officer, the biggest loser was a man who remarkably dropped 22 kilos (over 48 pounds) throughout the allotted time. He was able to bring home gold worth more than $3,200. Furthermore, individuals who have lost more than 10 kilos or 22 pounds were given three grams of gold for every kilo lost. Those who weight loss was within the range of two to ten kilos were also gold payments.

Why the Gold?

A recent United Nations report has revealed that Arab countries are becoming on par with the Western world in terms of bulging stomachs. Obesity rates recorded in a study done by the World Health Organization have shown that nation members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GGC), which United Arab Emirates is part of, are included in the list of the fattest countries around the world – Kuwait faring the worst. In fact, even if U.A.E. did not make it to the top ten of the Most Obese Countries Worldwide, 2012 saw it being fifth in this list.

This alarming rise in the overweight population, not to mention the health problems associated with being overweight, prompted the various governments in these countries to act fast and work on initiatives to battle the bulges. While it is gold bribery in Dubai, other GGC member countries are thinking in line of more modest actions like education and raising awareness. For example, Qatar is planning on implementing a school curriculum about teaching a healthy lifestyle to raise anti-obesity awareness among their young ones.

Isn’t Giving Gold Bribery?

While some from the international scene frowned upon Dubai’s very unconventional method in tackling obesity, this sort of approach is not at all new and surprising. Similar programs in the US health care are doing the same to offset costs once the individual really gets sick because of his/her obesity. Besides, people do tend to work all the harder to attain the right goals once they know they are going to get incentives at the end.