Dubai’s government will pay residents in gold for losing those extra pounds as part of a government campaign to fight growing obesity in the Gulf Arab emirate.
The 30-day weight-loss challenge was launched to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.
For every kilogram dropped, contestants who register can walk away with a gram of gold, currently worth about $42, Dubai’s civic authority announced as part of its ‘Your Weight in Gold’ initiative.
Health officials in Dubai, the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates, and in neighboring Gulf nations, are spending millions to control obesity among their citizens.
I – Word Understanding
Campaign- work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal, typically a political or social.
To coincide – to happen at the same time
Dropped – make fall vertically
Commercial hub – a center of business and trade activity
II – Have your say
1. 2 Fascinating Facts About Dubai
a.Dubai is the jewelry trading center of the Middle East. To assert its reputation, the longest gold chain was made in the emirate during the Dubai Shopping Festival of 1999.
b. Crime rate is virtually zero across the city. Dubai is one of the safest places on earth, where racial tensions among different nationals are unheard of.
2. Oil wealth and high household incomes have led to overeating, high-sugar diets and a heavy reliance on cars for getting around, leading to an explosion of diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses.Is obesity considered a first world problem now.
