Many overweight students at Nanjing Agricultural University are signing up for a new sports class that offers them the chance to lose weight and gain credits, with higher marks handed out to those who lose the most.

According to teacher Zhou Quanfu, about 60 percent of the students who have applied to take the extra class are eligible. The only requirement is that participants have a body mass index of 30 or higher.

Students who sign up have their waistline, height and blood-fat level measured so a comparison can be made later to see how well they did.

"The basic theories and methods of losing weight through exercising are explained," said Zhou. "The students will learn how fat is formed and acquire scientific methods of exercising."

Zhou said that more than 1,060 of the 6,300 freshmen and sophomores at the university in Jiangsu province are overweight. Among them, more than 200 are considered obese.

According to data released last year by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, 30 percent of Chinese adults age 18 and older were overweight in 2012, a sharp rise from the 22.8 percent in 2002.

The commission said 25 percent of Chinese adults had hypertension in 2012, and about 10 percent were diabetic.

Against the backdrop of increasing levels of obesity and weight gain, the university created the elective course.

"Many of the overweight students can't get a credit from the regular sports class because they cannot even finish the 2,000-meter run within 14 minutes and 30 seconds," Zhou said. All students at Chinese colleges and universities must take a sports class, unless exempted, regardless of their major.

"Weight problems not only affect students' physical health, but also make them less confident," Zhou added.

After carrying out research and preparing for more than a year, Zhou won the support of the university and began offering the six-week elective course.

Students who opt to take the course - there are usually 35 in each class - have three or four specially designed sports classes each week. Each class lasts 90 minutes.

During classes, in addition to jogging, students do other exercises including the plank, which strengthens the abdomen as practitioners brace their bodies in a bridge shape.

Zhou also walks with the students in nearby parks and at local scenic spots.

"We enjoy losing weight," said Fan Xianfei, one of Zhou's students. "We also have a 5-kilometer mini-marathon together with Zhou. All of the students cross the finish line, because we all encourage and support each other."

Zhou also teaches the students about healthy eating and tells them how to calculate their calorie intake. The students write down what they eat each day in a format devised by Zhou. Some of those taking part said they stopped eating high-calorie foods, such as cakes and fried chicken, after they learned how many calories such foods contain.

At the end of the semester, the students complete the course by submitting a thesis connected to weight loss.

Students have lost an average of 6.5 kilograms by attending the six-week course.

(China Daily 05/25/2016 page3)