Photo: VCG

A community in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu Province, has launched a weight-loss challenge dubbed "flab for beef," where participants can exchange one pound of lost flab for one pound of beef, with greater rewards for more weight loss - up to a maximum of 20 pounds per person, according to the official WeChat account of the People's Daily.

The challenge, initiated by the Shanbei subdistrict in Wuxi, is open to slightly overweight residents with a BMI over 23 kilograms per square meter, or women with a waist circumference over 80 centimeters and men over 90 centimeters, according to the recruitment notice.

The event will kick off on March 20 and will run until December 31 of this year. The final weighing and redemption period is scheduled for January 1 to 10, 2027.

Participants can trade their lost flab for various beef cuts: one pound of beef or three pounds of beef bones per pound lost; one pound of oxtail for two pounds lost; one pound of offal for three pounds lost; and one pound of tongue for four pounds lost, according to the recruitment notice.

The recruitment notice also stated that "more weight loss brings more rewards, with a cap of 20 pounds of flab exchanged per person." Meanwhile, it reminded participants to adopt healthy weight-loss methods.

A staff member from Shanbei subdistrict said that the weight loss challenge is designed to help locals improve their physical fitness and boost their well-being, according to the report.

Since its launch, the event has garnered public enthusiasm. As the activity is open exclusively to current employees registered in the subdistrict's social security system, the staff said "some uninsured college students have even contacted us, hoping to get connected with enterprises and start work as soon as possible to become eligible."

In 2024, the National Health Commission, together with 15 other departments, launched a three-year national campaign aimed at significantly raising public awareness of weight management and fostering healthy lifestyle habits, according to the report.


Global Times