Health officials in San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, have launched a new weight loss competition to promote healthy lifestyles and combat obesity, primarily among young people.

Participants in the Adiós Gordito! (Goodbye, Chubby!) program will submit to a physical training regimen and nutritional consultancy with the goal of lowering their weight and getting healthier.

The five participants who obtain the best results will win 5,000 pesos (US $267), a six-month membership to a local gym and further nutritional advice.

The program initially planned to accept 35 contestants, but authorities were forced to increase the number of physical trainers and nutritionists after over 100 people signed up on the first day of applications.

Although the program is intended to focus on young people, there is no age limit and it is open to men and women aged 14 to 59 weighing more than 100 kilograms.

Municipal youth director Marco Rodríguez said the program will select 80 participants who will be divided into two groups, since some applicants did not pass certain medical tests or showed cardiac risks or other issues.

Workouts will begin on Wednesday, January 22 at the local Community Development Center. Participants will be given a list of goals every 15 days and will keep track of those they accomplish via a points system that monitors their training stages and eating habits.

This is the municipal government’s first Adiós Gordito! program, but not its first attempt to motivate citizens to lead healthier lives. In the past it has offered property tax discounts to families who participated in a weight loss program.

More than 24 million Mexican adults are considered obese by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Source: El Universal (sp)