Show Me the Money!

Making News:

When crafting your corporate wellness programs, consider adding a monetary incentive for participants. A study in the September 2007 issue of the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (2007; 49 [9], 981–89) found that moderate financial incentives can promote weight loss.

More than 200 employees were recruited at one university and three community colleges in North Carolina. During the first 3 months participants were randomly assigned to receive no money, $7 per percentage point of weight lost or $14 per percentage point of weight lost. The researchers found that the larger financial incentive resulted in the greatest short-term weight loss. After 3 months, participants with no financial incentive had lost 2 pounds; those in the $7 group had lost about 3 pounds; and those in the $14 group had lost nearly 5 pounds. Participants in the $14 group were 51/2 times more likely than those in the no-incentive group to lose 5% of their body weight, a point where weight loss has clinically important health benefits. Overall, 67% of participants lost some weight. Between baseline and 6 months, when the financial gains were equalized, weight loss was similar across groups.