Guardian Unlimited, a UK newspaper, has reported that the mayor of Varallo Sesia, a small picturesque town in Italy, is offering cash incentives for its residents to shape up.

It seems that “stress”, “eating too fast” and the love for “junk food” has increased obesity in Italy by 9%, and with this bold move announced over the weekend, the response has been overwhelming. Residents armed with a doctor’s certificate stating they are overweight were lined up at city hall waiting to be weighed by the town’s appointed chemist in order to get into the program.

“Dieting needs strong motivation, and I am trying to muster some collective will here,” says Mayor Gianluca Buonanno, who is also planning on losing 6kg.

The program is set up like a contest where everyone that is successful with the weight loss required can claim money - €50 for losing 3kg within one month and up to €200 if the weight loss is maintained for another 5 months. Italy’s health care minister, Livia Turco, is planning on rolling out this program nationwide if this keeps adulthood obesity rates down.

Would it be too much to expect that Canada and the United States keep any eye on the success of this program? As obesity has reached an epidemic on this continent, drastic measures need to be taken to ensure the health of its people. Varallo Sesia’s unconventional methods might just be what we need.