Shandong, China — A gym owner in eastern China has made global headlines after offering an extraordinary reward: a Porsche Panamera to anyone who can lose 50 kilograms (110 pounds) in just three months.
The challenge, launched by a fitness camp in Tancheng, Shandong Province, has set social media ablaze — not just for the flashy prize, but for the potentially dangerous health implications behind such an extreme goal.
Under the program, up to 30 participants can join the competition by paying 10,000 yuan (around $1,370), which covers three months of full-time accommodation, training, and meals. By October 25, just two days after its launch, several participants had already signed up.
“This is a challenge of limits,” said Coach Wang, one of the organizers. “We provide professional guidance and a strict diet plan to help participants lose weight safely.” He confirmed that the Porsche is real — though it’s a used 2020 modelbelonging to the gym’s owner.
However, doctors and fitness experts have called the stunt irresponsible and dangerous, warning that losing 50 kilograms in such a short period could cause severe health risks, including muscle loss, hormonal imbalance, and cardiovascular stress.
“Safe weight loss should not exceed one kilogram per week,” said one Beijing-based nutritionist. “This kind of rapid reduction borders on self-harm, even with professional supervision.”
In response to safety concerns, the organizers said training intensity would be adjusted individually and that the prize would be void if no one achieved the target.
The viral campaign reflects a growing trend in China’s booming weight-loss industry, now under tighter government scrutiny. As obesity rates surge — with more than half of China’s adult population now overweight or obese — “fat camps” and fitness retreats promising rapid results have exploded in popularity.
But scandals have also followed. In 2023, a 21-year-old influencer known as Cuihua died after losing 27 kilograms in two months at a similar weight-loss camp in Shaanxi Province. Her death triggered a nationwide debate on the lack of regulation and the use of extreme methods in these programs.
For now, the Shandong gym’s Porsche challenge remains the most talked-about fitness event in China — a symbol of both the country’s growing obsession with body image and the dangerous lengths some are willing to go in pursuit of perfection.
