Want To Lose Weight? Bet Dieting New Craze For Weight Loss
Posted: Saturday, May 23, 2009
by Asher Ricard
A new craze is taking the United States and United Kingdom by storm. It is something known as bet dieting designed to keep individuals motivated in their weight loss struggles.
Bet dieters join a website and vow to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time. What happens when they do not meet that goal?
Money is withdrawn from their account and given to charity. Not only do they lose money, but their friends can also hear of their humiliation through group emails.
What are these charities? They are charities that support or oppose gay marriages, abortions or global warming. It is funny to me that these issues would bring the most motivation to stick to a diet.
I think this whole concept is brilliant. As someone who diets on and off again, I think I would be motivated to not lose money let alone let it go to a cause that I dislike or is morally against.
On the whole in the US, bet dieting is said to have around an 85 percent rate. However, there is no reports on how individuals do after leaving the incentive program.
When money is thrown into the equation, it is funny to me how much harder people try. After all, who likes giving up money. This concept of bet dieting can also be transferred to other areas of our lives that we need approving. We can bet a friend that we can do improvements to our house in a certain amount of time, forgive someone, etc.
One US site has widened the scope of money and its effects on our lifestyle choices. They realize that money can be a great motivator for life improvements. In doing so, their site does not only cater to those willing to set bets to lose weight, but whatever goal a person might have. Hence they created www.stickK.com
According to the New York Times, the site has more than 23,000 users, the highest percentage of whom have commitment contracts for losing weight. The site takes credit card information up front and charges your card weekly if you fail to meet your goal. You can designate someone to be your referee - a friend, co-worker or spouse, for example.
It is amazing to me that money can be the breaking point to get people to do what they needed to do all along. Although, I have to admit I am intrigued.
What about you? Would you consider signing up for one of these sites to get motivated to make a life change? Let me know in the comment section below.
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