Offering people who are obese financial incentives in text messages could help them lose more weight, a trial has found.
The approach is cheaper for the health service than traditional weight management programmes as it requires less staff and could potentially reach people from more deprived areas, researchers said.
As part of the year-long study, 585 men from Bristol, Belfast and Glasgow with an average body mass index of 37.7, were split into three groups.
One of the groups was told £400 ($503) was being held for each of them in an account and would be transferred over at the end of the trial.
However, money would be taken off the total if they failed to meet weight loss goals.
The group were also sent daily texts that included motivational messages, tips on lifestyle changes, links to information online and access to a study website on weight management with information about local services and an online tracker to monitor weight changes.
The second group was sent the same messages, with no financial incentive, while the third group was only granted access to the weight management information.
About 426 men included in the study logged their weight after 12 months.
Those in the financial incentives group lost 4.8 per cent of their body weight on average, compared to 2.7 per cent in the group who were sent the same messages but with no financial incentives and 1.3 per cent in the third group.
Prof Pat Hoddinott, of the nursing, midwifery and allied health professions research unit at the University of Stirling led the study, which has been presented at the European Congress of Obesity in Venice.
She said it was inspired by “behavioural economic theory which proposes that people are more motivated by the prospect of losing money than the prospect of gaining money”.
“However, not everyone can afford to deposit their own money, so we designed the Game of Stones trial, which uses an endowment incentive, where the money is put in an account at the start, allowing men on low incomes to join,” Prof Hoddinott said.
“A text message-based programme, meanwhile, costs less and is less labour-intensive than a traditional weight loss programme.
“Men who were living with obesity helped design the structure of the incentives and helped us write the text messages.”
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Prof Hoddinott also said the study recruited people from areas “normally underrepresented in weight management trials”.
“Some 39 per cent of the men lived in less affluent areas, 71 per cent reported a long-term health condition, 40 per cent reported two or more long-term conditions and 29 per cent reported that they were living with a disability.
“In addition, 25 per cent of the men told us they had a doctor-diagnosed mental health condition and a further 24 per cent reported low mental health scores.”
Men in the financial incentives group received £128 each on average at the end of the study, with 27 receiving the full £400.
“We reached an underserved group of men who seldom take part in health promotion activities,” Prof Hoddinott said.
“Weight management programmes are traditionally intensive, often with a weigh-in every week or two.
“In Game of Stones, there are just four brief ten-minute weigh-ins over a year.
“No intervention is delivered by the staff at the weigh-ins, so minimal staff training is required. No referral is needed to join.
“Men and NHS staff really valued this low-burden approach and it has the potential to address health inequalities. It was a win-win for all.”
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
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Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
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December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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