Getting Paid to Lose Weight :

Men living in the northwestern Italian town of Varallo will receive 50 euros ($70) for losing 4 kg (9 pounds) in a month. Women will get the same amount for shedding 3 kg (7 pounds). If they can keep the weight off for 5 months, they will get another 200 euros ($280), he told Reuters .

Are the Italians on to something here?

3 sides of my personality battled it out for an initial reaction on this proposal:

1. Why not?
One part of me (the casual side) says what the heck – if it works, do it! If this is what it takes to get people healthier, than why not?

2. What about being normal weight?
Another part of me (the smug, cynical side of me) wonders if the already fit should be entitled to some sort of compensation for not being overweight in the first place.

3. Wrong motivation?
And yet another part of me (call this one the concerned, analytical side) believes that this concept sets an undesirable precedence of extrinsically-centered motivation (i.e. being driven predominantly by tangible rewards).

This may sully any opportunity for people to develop intrinsically-centered motivation (doing something because you enjoy it or you truly want to be healthy).

Short-term only?
In my opinion, financial incentive may be enough to entice people into lifestyle changes, but it won’t likely keep them on the road to optimal health. I also worry about what I call the “Biggest Loser phenomenon”, whereby the sole purpose is to drop scale weight. This may not necessarily promote healthy lifestyle changes.

Do you think this could work in Italy or elsewhere? Perhaps this town in Italy will eventually boast a lean and fit population (and one broke Mayor).

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