We’ve talked about a number of innovative ways in which companies can charge for their products and service here, and I’ve just found another one. But I’m totally bemused by it. Perhaps you might be able to enlighten me.

A restaurant in Chongqing China,  has started a promotion which entitles male diners over a certain weight to discounted food. The discounts also apply to thin female consumers.

The policy says, for male diners, the more they weigh, the more discounts they are entitled to. If a male customer weighs more than 140 kilograms, then the meal is free.

For female diners, things are a bit different. The less they weigh, the more discounts they are offered. If a female customer weighs less than 34.5 kilos, then she is exempt from paying for food.

Aside from generating a lot of free publicity (which isn’t to be sniffed at) I’m struggling to see any logic to this. I can perhaps see the sense of feeding small women for free because they probably won’t eat much and won’t be dining alone. But why try to attract fat blokes with the lure of free food?

I’m probably missing something. Someone will tell me what it is.