Men are 4 times more likely to lose weight when offered money, study finds

Obese people are four times more likely to lose weight if they are offered pounds at the end of their weight loss journey, according to a new UK study.

Professor Pat Hoddinott of the University of Stirling in Scotland led the year-long study, published in the journal JAMA Network. The study, called Game of Stones, involved 585 men from Bristol, England, Belfast, Ireland and Glasgow, Scotland, who had an average body mass index of 37.7. The study found that in addition to offering financial incentives, sending motivational text messages with information about lifestyle changes and online resources helped people lose more weight.

The study participants were divided into three groups. One group received cash incentives and motivational text messages, another group received only motivational text messages, and a third group received neither.

People who were offered money and received text messages lost an average of 4.8% of their body weight, those who were sent only text messages lost 2.7%, and those who only received text messages lost 2.7%. neither lost only 1.3%.

“Losing weight can help people feel better, reduce the risk of many health problems such as diabetes and help health services achieve their goal of keeping men healthy. However, we know that men often do not like participating in traditional weight loss groups,” Hoddinott said in a JAMA press release.

“This was a very carefully planned study, created for men by men. We have worked closely with various men’s health groups and charities, including the Men’s Health Forum in the UK and Ireland, with over 1,000 men living with obesity helping to design the structure. “incentive,” Hoddintot added.

One group of participants were told that $507 was being held in an account that they would receive after the study, but that if they did not meet their weight loss goals, money would be withdrawn. Of those in this group, 27 of them received the full amount. On average, these men received $162.

“Research has shown that offering cash incentives is a popular and effective way to help men lose weight. The initiative would be a low-cost solution that health services could offer to men, requiring just four weight loss appointments, and with money only paid at the end to those who lose more than 5% of their body weight. starting point,” Hoddintot said in The Version.