Dubai is going to pay its citizens to lose weight in an attempt to combat growing obesity concerns.
The initiative called "Your Weight in Gold" will pay participants one gram of gold (equal to about $45) for every kilo they lose, The Economic Times reported.
There is no limit to the amount of gold one can obtain during the 30-day period, Dubai official Hussain Lootah told the press, ABC News reported.
Citizens of Dubai must lose at least two kilos (4.6 pounds) in order to get the payoff, according to the Economic Times.
The campaign for weight loss in the Arab Emirates coincides with Ramadan, a Muslim period of religious fasting.
During the period, which will end in mid-August, followers do not eat, drink, or smoke from sunrise to sunset.
The fast tends to encourage people to overeat after hours, leading to weight gain.
Three overall winners will have the chance to get 20,000 dirhams ($5,449) through a draw. The rest of the participants will split 200,000 dirhams.
The prize candidates will weight themselves in public parks to prove their success. Dieticians will help them meet their weight loss goals, the participants will also swear not to use unhealthy methods to lose the weight.
The Arab Emirates has the seventh highest proportion of obese women in the world, about 39.9 percent. Men boast the ninth highest statistic at 25.6 percent, The National reported.
In affluent Dubai, 32 percent of all schoolchildren are either overweight or obese, edarabia reported.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) organized a Dubai School Football league Championships in hopes of encouraging children to be more active.
They also ran awareness drives at 100 schools. The organization tested children's Body Mass Index (BMI) at fitness camps held across 18 schools to assess overall fitness.
The study concluded 48 percent of all Dubai schoolchildren required some form of dietary intervention, regardless of their weight.
