The Public Health Ministry hopes to see obese Thais shed a total of 10,000 tons in body weight over the three-month Buddhist Lent period.
About 17 million Thais are considered grossly overweight, ranking fifth in the Asia-Pacific region, The Nation reported.
The Public Health Ministry said they hope to see 10 million people take part in the campaign, with each participant shedding a minimum of 4kg a per month. Kilograms shed will be measured in monetary tokens totaling one million baht in a fund set up by the ministry to be donated to Buddhist charity projects, said Sophon Mekthon, deputy permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry.
Those interested in taking part can apply at provincial public health offices and ministry-run clinics.
In addition to the 17 million grossly overweight Thais, four million are at risk of becoming obese – a problem which costs the government THB100 billion each year in treatment costs, Dr. Sophon said.
