In a community centre in eastern China, Shu Fangqiang shrugged off his jacket and stepped onto a scale, one of hundreds of locals signing up for an unusual weight loss programme -- "Trade Fat for Beef".
The rules are straightforward: for every half kilogram he loses, Shu will receive the same weight in boneless beef, or 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) of beef on the bone.
kAm%96 AC@8C2>>6 :D @?6 @7 >2?J DAC:?8:?8 FA 24C@DD r9:?2[ 324<65 3J =@42= 2FE9@C:E:6D 2?I:@FD E@ E24<=6 C:D:?8 @36D:EJ C2E6D[ H9:49 2C6 72DE 364@>:?8 2 AC6DD:?8 AF3=:4 962=E9 :DDF6]k^Am
kAm!2CE:4:A2?ED H9@ 2C6 2=C625J <66? E@ =@D6 H6:89E D2J E96 :?:E:2E:G6 :D 2? 25565 3@?FD]k^Am
kAmQtG6? H:E9@FE E96 3667[ x H2?E65 E@ =@D6 H6:89E 7@C >J 962=E9[Q D2:5 $9F[ H9@D6 3@5J >2DD :?56I Wq|xX @7 b_ :D 4=2DD:7:65 2D @36D6]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? 2 E9:C5 @7 r9:?6D6 25F=ED H6C6 @G6CH6:89E :? a_aa[ 2?5 2C@F?5 g]b A6C46?E H6C6 @36D6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 (@C=5 w62=E9 ~C82?:K2E:@? W(w~X[ 4@>A2C65 H:E9 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ H96C6 fa]c A6C46?E @7 25F=ED 2C6 @G6CH6:89E 2?5 ca A6C46?E 2C6 @36D6]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E96 ?F>36C @7 @36D6 A6@A=6 :? r9:?2 92D EC:A=65 36EH66? a__c 2?5 a_`g[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 r9:?6D6 r6?E6C 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@?]k^Am
kAmx7 4FCC6?E EC6?5D 4@?E:?F6[ E96 D92C6 @7 @G6CH6:89E 2?5 @36D6 r9:?6D6 25F=ED 4@F=5 C6249 f_]d A6C46?E 3J a_b_[ E96 }2E:@?2= w62=E9 r@>>:DD:@? W}wrX D2JD[ H9@D6 @36D:EJ 4C:E6C:2 :D DEC:4E6C E92? E96 (w~VD]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ ;FDE 42>6 2E E96 C:89E E:>6[ D@ x D:8?65 FA[Q $9F D2:5]k^Am
kAm!2CE:4:A2?ED @7 E96 42>A2:8? :? E96 4:EJ @7 (FI:Â H6C6 H6:8965 @?46 :? |2C49[ 2?5 H:== C6EFC? :? y2?F2CJ a_af 7@C 2 D64@?5 2?5 7:?2= H6:89\:? ]k^Am
kAm%96J H:== E96? 36 C6H2C565 H:E9 6IA6?D:G6 4FED =:<6 @IE2:= :7 E96J =@D6 >@C6 H6:89E \\ E9@F89 E96 E@E2= 2>@F?E @7 7C66 >62E 2G2:=23=6 :D 42AA65 2E `_ <:=@8C2>D Waa A@F?5DX]k^Am
kAm~C82?:D6CD D2J >@C6 E92? `[___ A6@A=6 92G6 C68:DE6C65 D:?46 E96 (FI: 42>A2:8? DE2CE65 :? |2C49 \\ H:E9 E9@FD2?5D >@C6 EFC?65 2H2J 7@C ?@E >66E:?8 =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ C6D:56?46 C6BF:C6>6?ED]k^Am
kAm"F6F6D 7@C H6:89\:?DÂ C624965 FAÂ E@ 2 5@K6? A6@A=6 2E 2 E:>6 :? 3@E9 E96 >6? 2?5 H@>6?VD D64E:@?D[Â 2? pu! ;@FC?2=:DE D2H]k^Am
kAmpE E96 7C@?E @7 E96 BF6F6D[ A2CE:4:A2?ED DE6AA65 @? H6:89:?8 D42=6D H9:49 5:DA=2J65 E96:C 96:89E[ H6:89E 2?5 q|x]k^Am
kAm$E277 >6>36CD E96? >62DFC65 E96:C H2:DED[ =@8865 E96:C 52E2 @? 2 7@C> 2?5 FD65 2? 6?4@FC28:?8 DE2>A E@ >2C< :E 2?5 E@ 4966C A2CE:4:A2?ED @?]k^Am
kAmp? @?\D:E6 5@4E@C @776C65 A6CD@?2=:D65 >65:42= 25G:46]k^Am
k9am\Â Vu=23 7@C A@E2E@6DV \k^9am
kAm$:>:=2C 8C2DDC@@ED :?:E:2E:G6D 92G6 2=D@ DFC72465 :? @E96C =@42=:E:6D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ[ H:E9 >2?J D92C65 H:56=J @? D@4:2= >65:2]k^Am
kAmx? E96 D@FE9H6DE6C? AC@G:?46 @7 *F??2?[ D=:>>6CD 42? E2<6 A2CE :? E96 Qu=23 7@C !@E2E@6DQ AC@8C2>>6 2?5 :7 E96J D9C:?< E96:C H2:DE=:?6D 4@?D:56C23=J[ 42? FA8C256 E@ 49:4<6?]k^Am
kAmr@F?ECJH:56[ A@AF=2C DFA6C>2C<6E 492:? *@?89F: 92D :?G:E65 4FDE@>6CD E@ C68:DE6C E96:C =@DD6D @G6C `_ 52JD 3J H6:89:?8 E96>D6=G6D :?\DE@C6]k^Am
kAm%96J 42? E96? EC256 6G6CJ `]d <:=@8C2>D =@DE 7@C 92=7 2 <:=@8C2> @7 3667[ 4C2J7:D9 @C <:H:]k^Am
kAm(96? pu! G:D:E65 E96 (FI: 4@>>F?:EJ 46?EC6[ 32??6CD 2E E96 H6:89\:? FC865 A2CE:4:A2?ED E@ D=:> 5@H? DE625:=J C2E96C E92? BF:4<=J[ 2?5 E@ 2:> 7@C 962=E9 @G6C E9:??6DD]k^Am
kAm~C82?:D6CD 2=D@ A@DE65 H2C?:?8D 282:?DE H6:89E\=@DD 5CF8D[ D6=7\:?5F465 G@>:E:?8 2?5 6IEC6>6 72DE:?8[ H:E9 5@4E@CD @? 92?5 E@ @776C 8F:52?46]k^Am
kAm!2CE:4:A2?E $9F E@=5 pu! 96 H2?E65 E@ =@D6 a_ <:=@8C2>D]k^Am
kAmQq6:?8 @36D6 27764ED J@FC >6?E2= DE2E6[ J@FC H@C< A6C7@C>2?46 2?5 J@FC @G6C2== H6==\36:?8[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ$@>6E:>6D H96? xV> 962G:6C[ x 5@?VE D=66A H6== 2E ?:89E]Qk^Am
kAmpD @7 a_a`[ E96C6 H6C6 c_a >:==:@? @G6CH6:89E @C @36D6 25F=ED @G6C ad :? r9:?2 \\ E96 H@C=5VD =2C86DE A@AF=2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 DEF5J AF3=:D965 :? %96 {2?46E >65:42= ;@FC?2=]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C DEF5J[ AF3=:D965 :? %96 {2?46E :? a_a`[ 2EEC:3FE65 E96 AC@3=6> E@ C2A:5 FC32?:D2E:@? 2?5 2 D9:7E E@H2C5 AC@46DD65[ 9:89\DF82C 2?5 9:89\72E 7@@5D[ 2D H6== 2D :?4C62D:?8=J D656?E2CJ =:76DEJ=6D]k^Am
k9am\Â Vw2C5 E@ C6D:DEV \k^9am
kAmx? (FI:[ cc\J62C\@=5 +96?8 w2:9F2 D2:5 D96 H2D D:8?:?8 FA E@ 6?4@FC286 96C E@ Q>@G6 >@C6 2?5 62E =6DDQ[ 2?5 E@ 4@>>:E E@ 6I6C4:D:?8]Â k^Am
kAmQ%96 3:886DE 492==6?86 7@C >6 :D]]] 4@?EC@==:?8 >J 2AA6E:E6[ 3642FD6 H96? J@F D66 56=:4:@FD 7@@5[ :EVD 92C5 E@ C6D:DE[Q +96?8 =2F8965]Â k^Am
kAm{@42= A9JD:4:2? (F r92?8J2? DJ>A2E9:D65[ 255:?8 QE96C6VD =:76 AC6DDFC6[ 2?5 E96 4@?G6?:6?46 @7 >@56C? =:76 >2<6D :E 62DJ E@ 62E >@C6 2?5 62E E@@ >F49]Qk^Am
kAm%96 }wr 2?5 @E96C 2FE9@C:E:6D 92G6 =2F?4965 ?2E:@?2= :?:E:2E:G6D :? 2? 677@CE E@ 4@F?E6C E96 EC6?5[ 4@?46C?65 23@FE =:?<D H:E9 49C@?:4 5:D62D6 2?5 :?4C62D65 962=E942C6 4@DED] Â k^Am
kAm{@42= 677@CED =:<6 E96 (FI: @?6Â 2C6 Q2 7F? H2J E@ 86E A6@A=6 >@E:G2E65Q[ (F E@=5 pu!]Â k^Am
kAmqFE {: $96JF[ 2 4=:?:42= AC@76DD@C 2E $:49F2? &?:G6CD:EJVD (6DE r9:?2 w@DA:E2=[ D2:5 E96 42>A2:8?D >:89E 92G6 =:>:E65 :>A24E]Â k^Am
kAmQx H@F=5 ?@E 4@?D:56C :E 2 82>6492?86C :? E96 3:8 A:4EFC6[Q 96 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 E96J H6C6 6DD6?E:2==J ;FDE 2 EC25:E:@?2= :?46?E:G6 >6E9@5 7@C H6:89E =@DD]Â k^Am
kAmQqFE WE96J 2C6X 2 8@@5 6I2>A=6 @7 5:DD6>:?2E:?8 H6:89E\=@DD :562D E@ E96 AF3=:4]Qk^Am
kAm6>^C63^59H^2?6^4>Dk^Am



