Nearly 200,000 yuan in bonuses (about 26,000 dollars for us) have been distributed so far to employees who have managed to lose weight: this is the strategy implemented by a company in Chengdu, Sichuan, to encourage its employees to follow a healthier lifestyle. This company is Chengdu Galaxy Magnet Co., Ltd., which specializes in the production of magnets, and it is not the only anti-obesity initiative adopted in China.
A Company's Response to a Worrying Situation
The obesity phenomenon in China is constantly increasing, which is why many initiatives have been launched to promote a healthier diet and encourage regular physical activity. Among these, a Chengdu company has stood out, having begun awarding bonuses, divided into different levels depending on the difficulty, to those who managed to lose weight.
As reported by the newspaper Jiupai News, employees who participate in this initiative must be overweight, and their eligibility is determined based on their body mass index. If accepted, they commit to this challenge by signing an agreement with the company. But be careful, as the bonus has an expiration date: if the weight gain increases within the specified time, the compensation must be refunded.
But that's not all: the incentives are also available for the fitness world. The modus operandi is the same: employees who want to exercise can apply and, if their criteria are met, they will receive bonuses once they reach their goals.
This initiative certainly encourages action against a problem that, unfortunately, is increasingly widespread nowadays. However, it's not that simple: as reported by Jiupai News, staff have stated that it's very difficult to achieve the goal and that, therefore, not many workers have managed to obtain this bonus.
"If the Trend Continues, 65% of Adults Will Be Overweight or Obese by 2030"
These are the government's estimates on the current situation in China. Precisely in response to this dramatic situation, as reported by the newspaper Asia News, the government is stepping up initiatives to combat this widespread problem: scales in hotel rooms, promotion of healthy recipes on social media, Olympic athletes as ambassadors, and the creation of specialized weight management clinics within hospitals. Furthermore, last year, the National Health Commission published a weight loss manual, which offers personalized recipes based on different regional traditions and respecting local tastes.
A problem that must be addressed with the utmost seriousness, especially in a situation that, from the 1980s to today, has rapidly increased: as underlined by Jennifer Bouey, researcher and epidemiologist at the RAND Corporation, to Radio Free Asia “the 2020 data show that the overweight rate of adults in China is 34.3% and the obesity rate is 16.4%, which together exceed 50%”, compared to forty years ago when only 5-7% were overweight and the percentage of obese was only 1%.
But how is such a rapid increase possible? The causes lie in the rapid economic growth that has brought obesity with it: this is due to greater access to ultra-processed , high-calorie, animal-based foods, and an improved quality of life. This is a problem that, obviously, does not concern only the Chinese people, but all populations living in the most developed countries.
;Resize,width=767;)
