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£1 for a pound: NHS to pay the obese to lose weight
Men and women are to be paid to lose weight in one of the first schemes of its kind in the UK.
They will be given a £1 shopping voucher for every pound they shed in the pilot project for some 100 volunteers.
Participants must be significantly overweight, and 'before and after' photo sessions will highlight the benefits of their efforts.
If the pilot due to begin in September is successful, the idea could be rolled out across the UK.
However, experts warned that financial incentives could promote dangerous binge-dieting to gain the rewards but would not encourage long-term changes in eating habits and exercise.
The Pound-for-Pound project is an initiative between the NHS South West Essex primary care trust and Basildon Council.
Figures show that 25.8 per cent of the adult population in the area is obese, compared with a national average of 23.6 per cent.
Volunteers must have a body mass index (BMI) - a measure based on height and weight - that shows they are significantly overweight.
They will be given advice on how to lose weight and told to return after three months for a weigh-in.
There is no set BMI limit to qualify and volunteers can set their own targets.
The Asda vouchers they earn can only be spent on healthy goods such as fruit and vegetables.
Organisers of the project, which is being funded by Basildon Council, claim it provides better value for money than previous schemes including £75-a-month gym memberships which are often not used.
Care worker Sarah Stanton, 36, who has signed up for the scheme, is 5ft 8in and weighs 14st 7lb, giving her a BMI of 30.9.
A BMI of 30 or more is classed as obese. She hopes to lose 2st 7lb.
'I have gone on loads of diets before and they have not worked,' said the mother of four from Vange, near Basildon. 'I just want to get fit and healthy.'
Figures show that 25.8 per cent of the population in the South West Essex area - where the trial is taking place - are obese
The pilot scheme follows a recommendation in a government report last year to tackle the obesity timebomb using a series of measures such as compulsory cooking lessons in schools, but also financial incentives.
No firm ideas were put forward at the time, but Department of Health sources suggested vouchers to spend on healthy food.
But Jo Grayley, of Weight Watchers, said yesterday: 'Without support over a three-month period, there will be weeks where motivation levels will drop.
'You would also get people who might do silly things to lose a lot of weight for the reward. It can be dangerous to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
'Losing weight should be its own incentive. I don't think attaching a monetary award to it is necessarily a good idea.'
A Basildon Council spokesman said: 'We have initially set aside £1,000 for the scheme. We don't want to encourage people to excessive weight loss. It's a small push in the right direction.'
Obesity causes a host of health problems including diabetes, heart disease, infertility and some cancers.
It is already costing the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds each year.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1XLVQXJWO
Men and women are to be paid to lose weight in one of the first schemes of its kind in the UK.
They will be given a £1 shopping voucher for every pound they shed in the pilot project for some 100 volunteers.
Participants must be significantly overweight, and 'before and after' photo sessions will highlight the benefits of their efforts.
If the pilot due to begin in September is successful, the idea could be rolled out across the UK.
However, experts warned that financial incentives could promote dangerous binge-dieting to gain the rewards but would not encourage long-term changes in eating habits and exercise.
The Pound-for-Pound project is an initiative between the NHS South West Essex primary care trust and Basildon Council.
Figures show that 25.8 per cent of the adult population in the area is obese, compared with a national average of 23.6 per cent.
Volunteers must have a body mass index (BMI) - a measure based on height and weight - that shows they are significantly overweight.
They will be given advice on how to lose weight and told to return after three months for a weigh-in.
There is no set BMI limit to qualify and volunteers can set their own targets.
The Asda vouchers they earn can only be spent on healthy goods such as fruit and vegetables.
Organisers of the project, which is being funded by Basildon Council, claim it provides better value for money than previous schemes including £75-a-month gym memberships which are often not used.
Care worker Sarah Stanton, 36, who has signed up for the scheme, is 5ft 8in and weighs 14st 7lb, giving her a BMI of 30.9.
A BMI of 30 or more is classed as obese. She hopes to lose 2st 7lb.
'I have gone on loads of diets before and they have not worked,' said the mother of four from Vange, near Basildon. 'I just want to get fit and healthy.'
Figures show that 25.8 per cent of the population in the South West Essex area - where the trial is taking place - are obese
The pilot scheme follows a recommendation in a government report last year to tackle the obesity timebomb using a series of measures such as compulsory cooking lessons in schools, but also financial incentives.
No firm ideas were put forward at the time, but Department of Health sources suggested vouchers to spend on healthy food.
But Jo Grayley, of Weight Watchers, said yesterday: 'Without support over a three-month period, there will be weeks where motivation levels will drop.
'You would also get people who might do silly things to lose a lot of weight for the reward. It can be dangerous to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
'Losing weight should be its own incentive. I don't think attaching a monetary award to it is necessarily a good idea.'
A Basildon Council spokesman said: 'We have initially set aside £1,000 for the scheme. We don't want to encourage people to excessive weight loss. It's a small push in the right direction.'
Obesity causes a host of health problems including diabetes, heart disease, infertility and some cancers.
It is already costing the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds each year.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1XLVQXJWO
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