By Brenna Robinson
When motivation to be healthy isn’t enough should you turn to financial motivation? Websites are now popping up with cash incentives to motivate weight loss. This is how it works. You join a challenge to lose weight; this can be to lose 5, 10 or 15% of your body weight. You and other challengers pay money to a pot and the people who reach their goal split the money.
Social dieting is not an entirely new idea, many corporate offices run group dieting pools with financial incentives. Now you can do this virtually. We have turned almost every area of our lives into a social networking opportunity, from Instagram for pictures to Pinterest for new ideas, social media connects our lives. It’s only natural that we turn to social networking to help us achieve better health. Let’s face it; if gyms paid members for working out, we would definitely make more of an effort to go. It’s not important what motivates you to become fitter, but it is important for you to keep a healthy lifestyle. A cash motivation may just be the kick start you need.
This concept can actually be backed up by a recent study from the Mayo Clinic. According to the research, completion rates were higher among weight loss groups with incentives versus groups without incentives (2013). The incentive groups also lost more weight, with a mean weight loss of 9.08 pounds versus 2.34 for groups without incentives (2013).
The bottom line is that if you meet your goal, you are healthier and you now have some cash in your pocket to buy that pair of skinny jeans you’ve had your eye on. Here are four websites to help get you started:
Healthywage boasts that it can keep you focused and accountable while losing weight. They have a free challenge with a $100 incentive and a top prize of $10,000 for their team weight loss challenges.
Dietbet gives you the ability to create your own game (challenge) or join one. The more players in a game the higher the prize.
WeightlossWars offers a free signup if you try a product from Trialpay or a single payment of $10.00. You can create challenges or join one of their own. They also offer measurement trackers, a recipe box, and health calculators.
StickK offers you the ability to customize your health goal for more than weight loss such as quitting smoking or exercising more. This website gives you the option of setting monetary stakes and charges your credit card each week you do not reach your goal. You can set the money to go to a designated recipient such as a charity.
Works Cited
Mayo Clinic. (2013, 03 07). Money Talks When It Comes to Losing Weight, Mayo Clinic Study Finds. Retrieved 12 21, 2013, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2013-rst/7357.html
