Contact email

lauren_cleveland@harvardpilgrim.org

Overview

The use of a deposit contract, in which participants “bet” on a weight-loss maintenance goal and received money back at the end of 50 weeks only if the goal was met, was studied among BWH employees. These employees had lost over 10 lbs each in the two years prior to participation in the deposit contract; weight differences at the end of the 50-week period were not significant but more participants were able to meet their weight-loss maintenance goals.

Department

Population Medicine

Division

Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse

Clinic

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Collaborators

Lauren P. Cleveland
Michael W. Seward
Denise Simon
Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman
Kristina H. Lewis
Carin Bennett-Rizzo
Florencia Halperin
Katherine D. McManus
Jason P. Block

Status/Stage of Development

Pilot

Funding Sources

NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
McLaughlin Family Foundation

Measurement

Weight change between baseline and 50-week mark, maintenance of baseline weight at 50 weeks

Results

Employees who participated in the deposit contract program had slightly less but non-significant weight gain (adjusted beta -1.12 kg; 95% CI -5.28, 3.05) compared to those who did not participate. 73.7% of those who participated vs 39.1% of those who did not participate were able to meet their weight-loss maintenance goal (adjusted OR 4.78; 95% CI 1.01, 22.71).

Sources

Cleveland LP, Seward MW, Simon D, Rifas-Shiman SL, Lewis KH, Bennett-Rizzo C, Halperin F, McManus KD, Block JP. BWHealthy Weight Pilot Study: A randomized controlled trial to improve weight-loss maintenance using deposit contracts in the workplace. Prev Med Rep. 2020 Jan 25;17:101061. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101061.