Japanese food and beverage firm, Suntory Holdings wants its obese employees to get into shape. The company has offered its employees a chance to go to a weight lose camp where they will learn how to eat and drink in moderation at social events and how to exercise.

Suntory’s personnel department said that the company has more ‘obese-leaning employees’ than a typical company. Therefore it has devised a means to improve the health of its employees.

“Many of our employees like alcohol, and there are people who were athletic in university but are now lacking exercise. We want them to obtain correct information, like how to have a balanced diet and restore their good health,” said Daisuke Sen, Head of Personnel

The firm said that employees whose weight surpasses indicators for metabolic syndrome are recommended for the weight loss camp while those who have pre-existing cases of lifestyle disease are not required to join. So far 300 out of 7,000 employees have been encouraged to sign up for the programme.

The camp which began last October has so far seen 30 employees, mostly salesmen in the 40 to 50 age range. The employees are taught how to choose a meal that contains vegetables, meats and carbohydrates. They are also taught how to exercise –such as power walks with the right posture and stretching. While at the camp, they are served dinner with beer, but told not to drink more than 500-milliliter bottle of beer.