Could Financial Incentives Be The Key To Solving The Obesity Problem?

A study by U.S. researchers found that rewarding weight loss with dollars not only led to significant weight loss, it kept participants motivated to stick with the program longer. One hundred overweight or obese participants of all ages took part in the year-long study. All were given the goal of losing four pounds a month, then separated into four groups, two with financial incentives, two without. Participants were weighed monthly, and either given $20 for meeting the goal or fined $20 for failing. Sixty-two percent of the incentive groups completed the study, compared to 26 percent of the non-incentive groups. Mean weight loss among the incentive groups was 9.08 pounds, compared with 2.34 pounds for the non-incentive groups.