To earn diploma, Chinese university students are encouraged to lose weight

Obesity is one of the biggest problems of humanity today. A number of diseases are related to this such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems. In China, which was traditionally a leaner country, the population is now experiencing the same complications as Westerners because of its weight.

To encourage students to become more fitness, Nanjing University of Agriculture in Jiangsu City, 1, 000 km from Beijing, has implemented a program in which students need to get in shape to earn their undergraduate degree.

The project created by Zhou Quanfu requires that 60% of each student's grade depends on the amount of weight lost by him in a given period. Only 40% of the grade comes directly from classroom content. The idea is for students to lose 7% of their starting weight at the end of the semester to get their grades back!

But not everyone is pre-qualified to participate in this curriculum. Only those whose fat percentage is above 30% and / or a BMI above 28 can stop the project. This body mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing weight by height squared.

College students usually practice 1 physical education class per week, but this amount is tripled by those who adhere to the weight loss proposal. Workouts involve running, climbing, weight training and abdominal training. Diet also needs to be more controlled, as exercise alone does not solve much.