Taipei officials yesterday unveiled the results of a weight loss campaign launched at the beginning of this year to combat obesity, announcing that the 112,007 participants in the campaign had lost a combined total of more than 130 tonnes.
The city’s Department of Health said that 71 of the individuals shed more than 20kg each.
The event was launched on Jan. 1, with the participants who lost the most in three weight categories eligible for awards.
The rules also stipulated that the participants had to maintain a body mass index of at least 18.5, a figure that differentiates between normal weight and underweight.
One male individual shed 47kg, more than any of the other contestants, but gave up his prize to the runner-up to avoid publicity.
The top prize went to another male participant, identified only by his surname, Cheng (鄭). An employee with Taipei Rapid Transit Corp, he dropped 39kg from more than 100kg over six months to take home NT$20,000 in prize money.
Cheng said he had in the past tried many methods of losing weight, including eating vegetable broth containing no oil, but had always failed.
This time, he slimmed down by eating normally during the day and having only a light dinner.
He said he also avoided food containing high levels of oil and calories.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said he had also shed 3kg since the start of the campaign by choosing food with fewer calories, as well as less oil and sugar.
The secret to successful weight loss is “diet control and regular exercise,” Hau said.
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