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.
On average, participants in the goal-directed group earned $440.44, as compared to $303.56 in the outcome-based group.
“Even if less weight is lost, adopting lifelong physical activity or better eating habits may be more important,” she said.
Kushner, who was not involved with the new study, agreed that low-income people face extra challenges when it comes to weight loss.
What’s not clear, however, is how the strategy of offering cash for weight loss could be implemented in a real-world setting, outside of academia.