Weight Loss Pays

Researchers say that cash incentives successfully motivate people to lose weight. 

One hundred clinically obese employees at the Mayo Clinic participated in a yearlong study that gave them the chance to earn or lose $20 per month if they met their diet goals.  Results showed that participants lost approximately five times more weight compared to those not given cash incentives. 

Mayo researchers say it is important to offer incentives to create healthy changes for employees.  Employers, insurers, and Internet programers all use this tactic to encourage people to lose weight. 

This method of weight loss has been a trend for the past few years.  In 2010, HealthyWage.com was created to give obese users cash for changing from an unhealthy body mass index to a healthy one. 

Even app creators are cashing in.  The Gympact app for the iPhone pays users for going to the gym while penalizing those who do not.  Each user pays a certain amount of money if they do not go to the gym which is then divided and distributed to those who did work out. 

Researchers will discuss this study at a medical conference in San Francisco this weekend.