A gym in China has gone viral for launching a jaw-dropping and highly controversial weight loss challenge: anyone who manages to lose 50kg in just three months will drive home a used Porsche Panamera.
According to South China Morning Post, the fitness centre’s coach, Wang, revealed that the campaign has already attracted plenty of attention. “The challenge is real and ongoing. Registration will close once we reach 30 participants, and so far, seven or eight have signed up,” he said in an interview with Xiang Yang Video.
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The Porsche, a 2020 model owned by the gym’s founder, serves as the grand prize. But joining the challenge doesn’t come cheap, as participants must fork out 10,000 yuan (around RM5,900), which supposedly covers meals and accommodation for the three months. The programme will take place in a closed environment, with participants sharing rooms.
What’s worrying, however, is the lack of transparency. The gym has yet to reveal what kind of workouts, diets, or supervision will be involved.
Health professionals have since slammed the challenge as unsafe and dangerously unrealistic. Dr Zeng, a medical influencer with more than 3.5 million followers on Weibo, said that losing 0.5kg per day is extremely unhealthy. “At that speed, the body burns muscle instead of fat, which can trigger hormone imbalances, hair loss, and even amenorrhoea in women. The healthy rate should be about 0.5kg per week,” he explained.
Echoing that concern, gastrointestinal surgeon Pu Yansong from Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital warned that extreme weight loss can cause severe strain on the body’s organs, potentially leading to long-term damage or even death. “Sustainable weight loss must be gradual so the body can adapt to the new energy balance,” he said.
Meanwhile, netizens questioned the gym’s true motives, joking that the owner might end up profiting more than anyone else. “Fifty kilos in three months? You’ll lose your life, not just your weight. With all those registration fees, the owner could buy another car!” one commenter quipped.
Losing 50kg in three months isn’t just unrealistic, it’s dangerous. Safe and sustainable weight loss typically happens at a rate of 0.5 to 1kg per week, achieved through a balanced diet, regular exercise, and medical guidance. Anything faster could harm your health more than help it.
