Early attempts to prove an intra-city monorail capacity, as an alternative to Elon Musk’s vision of a managed urban traffic solution offered through his Boring Company, proved to be inadequate in dealing with the weight of the average SUV combined with the weight of its’ average American driver.
In a move that shames the Weight Watcher’s weekly incentive scheme of a printed plastic biro, Dubai’s government announced last week that it will pay a bounty to residents, in gold, for losing weight as part of a government campaign to fight obesity.
The 30-day weight-loss challenge was launched on Friday, coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful refrain from eating & drinking between sunrise & sunset. During the festival people often eat too much after breaking the fast, enjoying super-sized portions of traditional dishes loaded with fat & sugar that push their daily calorie intake to well above levels seen during the rest of the year.
For every kilo dropped by 16th August, contestants can walk away with a gramme of gold, currently worth over $40, Dubai’s Health Minister announced as part of the “Your Weight in Gold” initiative.
The top three dieters will win special gold coins worth $5,400 & each contestant has to lose a minimum 2 kilos to qualify for the gold payout.
“Participant must reduce weight but stay away from unhealthy methods, they should be present on the final day to measure their weight loss,” the Dubai government said in a press release.
In Dubai, & the other emirates, oil wealth & high incomes have led to overeating, high-sugar diets & a heavy reliance on cars for even the shortest journeys, leading to a drastic increase in diabetes & other obesity-related illnesses.
Dubai has a history of larger-than-life offers. It has previously given away luxury cars & yachts in lucky draws & is home to the largest gold market in the region. It even has gold vending machines in its shopping malls.
Anybody remember Aristotle’s story about Midas?
ThursdayAgain 
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