Dubai. Obesity is a problem that afflicts many rich countries and is being fought using various means. An original method, but which few can afford, is to offer a gold incentive to strengthen the will to respect the diet. This is what they did in Dubai, where, coinciding with the start of Ramadan, The “Your Weight in Gold” campaign was launched, during which all those duly registered - and weighed - will receive at the end of the ritual month of fasting (August 16) a gram of gold (current value of approximately $42) for each kilo lost.
The beginning of the month of Ramadan is not a random choice, and not because the long hours of fasting would make it easier to get rid of excess kilos, but for the opposite reason: after sunset, when the fast is broken, many would throw themselves eagerly on traditional foods, loaded with fat, and a thus dramatically raising the level of ingested calories. Campaign participants must be overweight, ensure they abstain from any unsafe method of weight loss, and show up on August 16 for the final weigh-in. Of all those who can prove they have lost weight, the top three - those who have sacrificed the most excess kilos - will win a prize in gold coins worth 20.000 dirhams ($5.400).
A diet that is too rich and abundant combined with a marked tendency to sedentary lifestyle, favored by excessive use of the car, are the causes that are causing a veritable explosion of cases of diabetes and other diseases in the Emirates and in other Gulf countries related to obesity. According to data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), of the 10 countries in the world where diabetes is most common, 5 are among the 6 countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar) that adhere to the Gulf Cooperation Council.
