Italian town pays for residents to shed kilos

[ChrisChris]

MILAN (Reuters) - Overweight residents of an Italian town will be paid to lose weight, the mayor said on Monday.

Men living in the northwestern Italian town of Varallo will receive 50 euros ($70) for losing 4 kg (9 pounds) in a month, Mayor Gianluca Buonanno said. Women will get the same amount for shedding 3 kg (7 pounds).

If they can keep the weight off for 5 months, they will get another 200 euros ($280), he told Reuters.

"Lots of people are saying, 'I really need to lose some weight but it's really tough.' So I thought, why don't we go on a group diet?" said Buonanno, who said he was about 6 kg (13 pounds) overweight.

The town of 7,500 people started the campaign on Friday and some residents have already signed up, he said.

Around 35 percent of Italians are overweight or obese, according to European Union figures, with waistlines expanding as the country's healthy Mediterranean diet has given way to processed foods rich in fat, sugar and salt.

Source: http://today.reuters.com/news/artic...01_L13681020_RTRUKOC_0_US-ITALY-OBESITY-1.xml

I think they have good intentions but this really isn't a healthy way of doing it IMO. They are going to have people unhealthily starving themselves.

 

[italiandragon]

Bloody McDonald ruined my ex country :o

 

[James]

Bloody McDonald ruined my ex country :o

its happening to Australia too

 

[italiandragon]

its happening to Australia too

really? Since I got in this country I increased my weight by 30 % in 2 years!!!!!!!!


BLOODY HELL!!

 

[James]

IMHO i think its a massive world wide issue that can't just be done with a quick fix.

 

[italiandragon]

IMHO i think its a massive world wide issue that can't just be done with a quick fix.

I don`t care I NEED TO FIX MINE:

Look at this:


ItalianDragon 2 years ago:

And now:

If I think I used to be a runner.....average of 15 KM everyday....

 

[James]

its the sunglasses :lol:

 

[italiandragon]

its the sunglasses :lol:

I wish from a 92 cm pants I hardly fit the 102 cm pants now :td:

I need to go back running.

 

[ApeXX]

Bloody McDonald ruined my ex country :o

No one forces you to eat there...

 

[italiandragon]

No one forces you to eat there...

I have NEVER entered in one of those hamburger shops

 

[ilcesco]

I like eating at mcdonalds. and that's a good thing when you're in a foreign country too, at least you know what you're going to eat.

We don't have a real obesity problem like some other countries... but pay people to lose weight dosen't look like an effective idea. Sure thing they're trying to save on National Health service expenses...

 

[Smiler]

yes, I think it would be cheaper for countries to encourage people to loose way rather than wait for the obese people to realize that they have weight problems that can contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and all heart related problems. This will save the country's health care system tons of money if they act on it right now rather than wait for the side effects to occur later on.

 

[baseballworld]

The united states should have something like that. Lots of people here could shed a few pounds.

 

[Peter]

I wish from a 92 cm pants I hardly fit the 102 cm pants now :td:

I need to go back running.

I know the feeling. 8 years ago I was a 28" (70cm) waste now i'm a 34" (85cm) waste. Thats not far off an inch a year.

 

[djmadfx]

The united states should have something like that. Lots of people here could shed a few pounds.

You know how much money this country would have to shell out? lol I'm sure if we did it that it would be in the form of tax breaks.