Researchers advocate for incentivizing obese individuals to lose weight

A government-funded study conducted over a year discovered that overweight men had more success in losing weight when they were incentivized with cash rewards and daily text messages.

The researchers proposed that using cash incentives could be an effective method to motivate individuals to lose weight, considering the significant burden that obesity places on the NHS, costing an estimated £6.5 billion annually.

The men were divided into three groups. One group was informed that £400 would be held in an account for them and transferred at the end of the trial if they met their weight loss target. The second group received the same motivational messages but no financial incentives, while the third group only had access to weight management information.

After 12 months, 426 men from the study reported their weight. The group with financial incentives lost an average of 4.8% of their body weight, compared to 2.7% in the group receiving messages without incentives, and 1.3% in the third group.

Professor Pat Hoddinott from the University of Stirling led the study and presented the findings at the European Congress of Obesity. The study was motivated by behavioral economic theory, suggesting that people are more motivated by the fear of losing money than the prospect of gaining money.

‘Behavioural Economic Theory’

Ms. Hoddinott mentioned that not everyone can afford to invest their own money, so the trial used an endowment incentive approach. She highlighted that text message-based interventions are cost-effective and require fewer resources compared to traditional weight loss programs. Men who participated in the study were involved in co-designing the incentives and composing the text messages.

The program included brief weigh-ins every 10 minutes over a year, a minimal commitment compared to traditional weekly weigh-ins of slimming clubs, which many men tend to avoid.

Men Put Off by Traditional Slimming Clubs

Ms. Hoddinott emphasized that cash incentives were a popular and effective strategy for helping men lose weight, offering a low-cost solution that requires only four short weight appointments. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research through the Department of Health and Social Care, in collaboration with various universities.

Although there are no immediate plans to implement cash incentives by the NHS, the researchers believe that investing in such a service could prove beneficial in the long run, given the costs associated with overweight and obesity-related health issues.

PA Media contributed to this report.