Generally, people loathe putting in any effort to lose weight, even if they are obese and everyone from their doctor to their boss is telling them to drop a few pounds. It takes commitment and perseverance to be able to lose weight, which is why people seek motivation to work their way towards weight loss. There is a new form of motivation in the market (literally): you can get paid to lose weight. Well, not exactly, but you can place a bet against someone that you will lose X number of pounds or a certain percentage of your weight for a certain sum of money.
This is the initiative launched by DietBet. It is a new website focused on helping people lose weight and get healthier and in the process have some fun and enjoy a sense of competition. As the name suggests, you have to place a bet and then go on a diet to lose weight. The website is based in New York and was launched a couple of years back. Since people know their money is on the line, they are motivated to do all that is necessary to reach their weight loss goal. They take it on as a challenge and in the process are able to do what they were unable to previously: lose weight.
In fact, a user of the website stated that she had placed a $200 bet which entailed that she would lose 10% of her body weight and the competitiveness of the deal motivated her to achieve it. In the process, she got down to a healthy body weight and is happier than ever. And she managed to win $200 in the process.
DietBet has simple rules and a straightforward process. Users are required to post photos of themselves before and after they enter the competition. This is to ensure they have lost the weight and it is showing on their body. Also, they can post photos from time to time to update the other people involved in the competition, but that is optional. The website only charges up to 25% of the amount bet, but that is only if the people involved in the bet don’t reach their target. If they do, DietBet works for free!
The only concern is that people might be willing to take extreme measures to lose weight in the spirit of competition as money is on the line. However, we will have to wait to see if that does happen in the future.
