In Dubai, Weight Loss Is Worth Gold
If you want people to slim down, why not reward them with gold? That's the tack being taken in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. For every kilogram lost, the government will pay out a gram of gold.
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
And our last word in business today is: Worth Your Weight in Gold.
That's actually the name of a weight loss program that launched today in Dubai. For every kilogram lost, the government will pay out a gram of gold.
The World Health Organization reports that more than half of the United Arab Emirates are overweight or obese.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
Now to qualify for any gold, residents have to lose a minimum of about four and a half pounds in 30 days.
MONTAGNE: So factoring in the current price of gold, a loss of 20 pounds would mean a payout of about $450. Local media reported this week that there's no limit, yet, on how much gold will be given out.
And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.
GREENE: And I'm David Greene.
Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.