Financial Incentive–Based Approaches for Weight Loss

Abstract

Context Identifying effective strategies for treating obesity is both a clinical challenge and a public health priority due to the health consequences of obesity. Objective To determine whether common decision errors identified by behavioral economists such as prospect theory, loss aversion, and regret could be used to design an effective weight loss intervention. Design 3-arm randomized controlled trial in which participants were randomized to either usual care (weigh ins once a month) or one of two financial incentives arms. One incentive arm used deposit contracts in which participants put their own money at risk (matched 1:1 by the study) which they would lose if they failed to lose weight. The second used lottery-based incentives in which participants who met the weight loss target had each day a 1 in 5 chance of winning a small reward ($10) and a 1 in 100 chance of winning a large reward ($100). All participants were given a weight loss goal of 1 pound per week for 16 weeks, and results were analyzed using intention-to-treat analysis of variance models. Setting Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patients 57 patients with BMIs between 30-40 aged between 30 and 70, with no contraindications for study participation. Main Outcome Measures Weight loss after 16 weeks. Results Participants in both incentive groups lost significantly more weight than participants in the control group (3.9 pounds); (Lottery = 13.1 lbs; p-value for lottery vs. control .014; deposit contract = 14.0 lbs, p-value vs. control .003). 47.4% of deposit contract participants and 52.6% of lottery arm participants met the 16-pound weight loss goal compared to 10.5% in the control group (p-value 0.014.). By the end of 7 months, substantial amounts of weight were regained; however, incentive participants weighed significantly less than they did at the study start whereas controls did not. Low lost to follow-up rates (7.0%) during the weight loss phase of the study suggest that both incentive systems were successful in keeping participants engaged in the study. Conclusions Incentive approaches based on behavioral economic concepts could have a major impact in reducing the incidence of obesity-related illnesses.

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“…Preliminary studies have shown, for example, that cash rewards contingent on hitting weight-loss targets can help 1 foolproof, though. One recent large-scale experiment, aimed at financially rewarding low-income New York City families for keeping children in school and taking regular medical check-ups, was halted last year after it produced only limited improvements (see go.nature.com/eunolm).…”

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