⚖️ Insta360 Pays Employees to Lose Weight — or Fines Them for Gaining

[etfs]

Chinese action camera maker Insta360 has launched a corporate wellness challenge with a twist:

Employees earn ¥500 (~$70 / ₽5,500) for every 0.5 kg lost.

But if they gain weight, they’re fined ¥800 (~$112 / ₽8,900) per 0.5 kg.

The company tracks weight changes officially, with payouts and penalties recorded. So far:

99 employees joined the program.

Together they shed 950 kg.

Total payouts: ¥950,000 (~$132,300 / ₽10.6M).

Fun fact: no one has been fined… yet.

Insta360 says the initiative is about motivating staff and promoting healthier lifestyles, not just gimmicks.

Not Just Insta360

They’re not alone. Supplement maker Wonderlab ran a similar contest:

224 participants,

750 kg lost,

¥171,000 (~$23,800 / ₽1.9M) distributed.

Top loser: 16.4 kg down, earning ¥7,600 (~$1,059 / ₽84k).

The Bigger Picture

This all ties into China’s national health strategy:

57% of adults were overweight or obese in 2023 (up from 51% in 2018 and 46% in 2013).

Without action, that could hit 65% by 2030.

Related healthcare costs are projected to hit ¥418B ($57B) — around 22% of all medical spending.

Fresh or Fishy?

Many hail these programs as a “breath of fresh air” in corporate culture — tackling obesity with incentives and team spirit. But the flip side is tricky:

Can financial rewards really reshape long-term habits?

Or does it risk turning health into another stressful KPI?

[Maxwell]

Interesting approach Paying people to get healthier sounds great, but fines for weight gain could easily backfire and add stress.

[rafihasan]

These challenges definitely spark motivation — the results speak for themselves. But the real test is whether employees keep the weight off once the money stops

[Nahiar806]

Cool idea, but feels a bit like turning health into a KPI. Long-term lifestyle change usually needs support, not just financial carrots (and sticks)