Obesity sufferers may wish to lose weight and bring it to a healthy level, but this is not an easy goal to reach. It is difficult to lose those extra pounds and stay motivated. If there were cash incentives for losing those extra inches, you would likely work harder. According to a recent study, weight-loss programs that offer financial incentives are more effective than those that provide free tools such as diet books and fitness trackers.
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that obese individuals lost weight more if they received cash rewards for achieving a certain amount of weight loss or by completing weight-reducing exercises.
Participants included 668 men and women, mostly Hispanics. Their average weight at the beginning of the study was 218 pounds. Some were given an average of $440 for losing at least 5% of their initial body weight (about ten pounds). The participants were tracked for up to one year. Nearly 50% of participants who received cash reached their target within six months. After a year, this number fell to only 41 percent.
The same results were seen for other incentives, such as paying an average of $303 to achieve certain weight loss goals. This amount was offered to nearly all study participants. They lost 5% of their starting weight within six months and almost 42% of them achieved the minimum weight loss after 12 months.
Only one out of five people who did not receive any financial incentives were able to lose the minimum amount of weight within six months. After a year, the number grew to nearly a third.
All participants received free tools during the study, including a one-year voucher to the Weight Watchers program and wearable fitness gadgets (Fitbits), as well as digital scales and food journals.
The Benefits of Offering Weight Loss Incentives
Study proves that cash incentives are effective in helping people with obesity lose weight. Melanie Jay, a senior investigator in the study and an associate professor at NYU Langone Health’s Department of Medicine, said that any incentive, including just providing the tools to help people lose weight, could work.
Jay mentioned that more research was needed to determine if periodic “boosters” would be necessary for weight loss to last on the long-term.
The global problem of obesity is on the rise. Over 40% of American adults, according to estimates, are obese. Overweight or obesity is associated with a variety of chronic diseases including stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Experts around the world have highlighted the need for intervention to combat the obesity epidemic.
