Woman Will Donate $1 Million If College Staff Loses 250 Pounds

A health-conscious woman from Oregon will donate $1 million to Stephens College on one condition -- employees of the womens college lose a total of 250 pounds by midnight on January 1. If the school's president, Dianne M. Lynch, loses 25 pounds alone, the donor will add $100,000 to the total sum.

The woman, who wishes to remain nameless, believes that obesity in America is a problem. She wanted to give overweight people incentive to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

"This donation is unusual because it's not about a program or a scholarship or any other kind of naming opportunity," Ms. Lynch said on Friday. "It's about investing in the people who work at this college."

Ms. Lynch said she and her colleagues have already begun plans to lose the weight over the weekend. The school's president proposed the bargain after school alumna advised her to lose weight.

"It's easy to talk about health and wellness, but it's another thing to live out our goals and best intentions," Ms. Lynch said. "Sometimes you just need that extra push, and a million dollars is one giant push."