People lost more weight when they were offered cash incentives

Offering cash incentives in addition to weight loss counseling and support helped people lose more weight, a study in JAMA Internal Medicine finds.

Offering people cash can help them shed excess pounds, a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine finds.

Participants who were offered cash incentives for either pounds lost or for completing certain activities were more likely to lose weight compared with those who were simply offered tools, such as diet books, fitness trackers and access to a weight loss program, the study found.

The patients in the study were low income — a group that tends to have a tougher time losing weight, said senior study author Dr. Melanie Jay, the co-director of NYU Langone Health’s Comprehensive Program on Obesity in New York City. “Forty percent of Americans have obesity and the prevalence is higher in people from low income and minoritized populations,” she said.

Weight loss drug for adults shows unprecedented results in teensNov. 3, 202201:58When it comes to weight loss, “there are a lot of barriers for those with low incomes,” Jay said, including lack of access to healthy foods or a gym, and the time needed for exercise.

Giving people the tools and information to lose weight often isn’t sufficient.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/people-lost-weight-offered-cash-incentives-rcna60122

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