Should We Be Paid to Lose Weight?

There is no doubt that being healthy is very important to many of us. While some people seem to have a lot of luck with dieting and exercise, there are others who do not want to have the motivation that is needed to get off the couch and stop eating ice cream, potato chips and whatever else. So, what does it really take to give people the motivation that is needed in order to lose weight?

What Has a Town in Italy Decided to Do?

In an Italian town called Varallo, it has been decided by the mayor that the best way to motivate people to lose weight is to pay them. Men will be paid $70 for every 9 pounds that they lose, while women will be paid $70 for every 7 pounds that they lose. If the weight is kept off for five months, residents will get paid $280. This town seems to believe that paying people to lose their unwanted weight is the best approach to encouraging motivation - and ultimately reducing waistlines and obesity rates.

What Do People Think about being Paid to Lose Weight?

The idea seems pretty ingenious to many, especially since no other towns have seemed to come up with a way to encourage its residents to lose weight. What if towns throughout the United States, where obesity rates are known to be at the highest and only increasing, decided to take the same action? Would people actually be motivated enough to get up off the couch and lose weight?

Others have their doubts about whether or not paying people to lose weight will work. What would happen after the town stops paying people to lose weight? Would people choose to keep the weight off in order to stay healthier, or would they view losing weight as nothing more than a chore? There also may be people who will use unhealthy weight loss methods, such as starvation and laxatives, in order to earn some extra money.

Is Paying People to Lose Weight Sending the Wrong Message?

Many people think that losing weight can be a difficult task to begin with. By paying people to lose weight, are we saying that losing weight should be compared to a job? This makes it seem like even more of a chore, when in reality, losing weight is something that you should want to do for yourself in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Money talks, but is paying someone the right way to motivate them to lose weight?

Credit: CNN

Copyright: CNN