Students take the weight-losing class.(Photo/Weibo)

Do you believe that losing weight could be a course offered for credit at the college level? In fact, that’s exactly what has happened at Nanjing Agricultural University. Since last semester, students at NAU who are struggling to lose weight can sign up for a special weight loss course. Credits for the course vary, depending on how much weight the students lose.

Only students with “qualified” figures are able to sign up for the class, said Zhou Quanfu, who teaches the weight loss course. Zhou carefully screens students based on their waistline, blood fat figures, height, weight and more. BMI is the standard measure used to evaluate progress in the course. Zhou holds three to four classes a week, and the course lasts for six weeks. To make the course more interesting, Zhou usually takes the students off campus. Past activities have included running mini marathons and playing sports in nearby parks.

Students of the course have a off-campus activity.(Photo/Weibo)

Besides exercise, students also study how to maintain a healthy diet. Zhou has designed an exercise and weight loss log that students can use to look up the calories in certain foods. When the course draws to an end, Zhou comes up with 20 essay topics about weight loss and healthy living that the students can research and explore.

Apart from losing weight, what Zhou hopes to do is rebuild students’ confidence through the course. Zhou has found that the number of students with weight issues is rising. What’s more, students with weight issues tend to become more shy, introverted and insecure. Zhou hopes that his class can not only help students to lose weight and stay healthy, but also assist them in becoming more confident.