Breaking News English

Nutritionists and dieting [experts / expertise] have long [thought / sought] the answer to how to encourage people to [lose / down] weight. It seems overweight people are more interested in the [amount / size] of their wallets than their waistlines. Researchers in the USA may have found one answer – cash [regards / rewards] and penalties. A year-long study of 100 weight watchers by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota found a system of financial [incentive / incentives] and fines had a significant [impact / compact] on people's success in [shredding / shedding] kilos. The weight-conscious dieters received $20 a month if they met their weight [lost / loss] goals and had to pay a penalty if they didn't. Those motivated by financial gain lost an average of 4.1kg, compared to just 1kg for [those / them] without the cash bonus.

The study followed 100 [obesity / obese] adults aged between 18 to 63, who were weighed [every / all] month for a year. They were put into four groups, some with a [momentary / monetary] focus, others with an emphasis [from / on] education and behaviour change. The $20 a month was [enough / suffice] for the financially-motivated dieters to [out-diet / in-diet] the other groups. Mayo Clinic's Dr Donald Hensrud said: "Just wanting to lose weight isn’t [plenty / enough] . Financial incentives can be powerful." Head researcher Dr Steven Driver found the fear [of / by] losing money was stronger than the thought of receiving a bonus. He said: "Fear of losing money [attends / tends] to motivate people about two and a half times more than the prospect of gaining the same [amount / volume] of money."