In an effort to combat obesity, the UK National Health Service (NHS) has initiated a pilot project known as “Game of Stones,” offering participants £400 ($430) cash incentives to lose weight. Under the scheme, men receive daily text messages with tips—such as suggesting alternative routes home to bypass fast food outlets—to promote healthier behaviors and encourage weight loss.
The trial involved 585 participants from Belfast, Bristol, and Glasgow. According to the results presented at the European Congress on Obesity, the motivational messages helped participants lose an average of 4.8 percent of their body weight within a year.
Additionally, participants had the opportunity to receive cash incentives up to £400 as rewards for losing weight, prompting accountability and providing motivation for sustained change. However, cash was deducted from this amount if participants did not achieve their weight goals.
Professor Pat Hoddinott from the University of Stirling, who led the trial, shared that men often feel reluctant to join traditional weight loss programs, suggesting that incentives have proven popular and effective among participants.
The NHS trial, funded by the government health investment body National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has been celebrated as a potentially low-cost and effective solution to male obesity management, requiring a minimal number of weight check appointments and aligning payouts with successful results.
Like many Western nations, the UK is plagued by an obesity epidemic. Last year, a research paper predicted that an estimated 1.3 billion people will have diabetes by the year 2050.
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