Read about our trial with the

Click here for details on
Weight Wins and Public Health

Partners

Are you a business (such as an insurer, employer, or wellness
company) interested in offering
the trial to your members?
Click here to contact us.

Project History

Online Survey

In spring 2007, Accelerated Concepts, a London-based business development firm, began developing a new concept: structured incentive plans for weight loss. It contracted with FreshMinds and Research Now to conduct research with a national online panel of 1,000 consumers interested in weight loss.

Key Findings

• 95% said the incentive concept was a “great,” “good” or “acceptable” idea
• The concept was equally popular with men and women
• The most popular plans were long term plans for large rewards
• The most popular plan structure was ‘pay per pound’ followed by ‘all-or-nothing’ success payment
• The most popular rewards were cash and vouchers for holidays and shopping
• Respondents preferred solo plans to group plans
• 26% indicated that they would purchase the service
• 75% were interested in participating in a free trial of the service

Trial A

Based on findings from the survey and focus groups, Accelerated Concepts developed the Pounds for Pounds programme. We recruited our first volunteers from the online panel in September 2007 for a simple three-month trial to lose 15 pounds (6.8 kg). 32 were women and 24 were men. No diet or exercise advice was offered, and no weight management services were recommended.

Key Findings

• A majority of the group completed the trial and lost 14.8 pounds (6.7 kg). There were variations in results by gender, BMI and socioeconomic group.
• In a survey, 63% of respondents said they undertook to lose weight as a result of the invitation; the remainder were already on a regime.
• Participants used a variety of regimens for losing weight. 97% changed their diet and 86% took more exercise. 40% paid money to one or several commercial schemes, including gyms, diet meals and weight loss groups, while 60% did it on their own.
• 89% said they would be interested in an incentive plan to maintain their new weight, with the most popular maintenance period being 6 months.
• 94% said they were glad they participated in the trial and 97% would recommend the programme to a friend or family member.
• The weight certification system operated successfully.

Selected results from Trial A

Winton Rossiter, President of Accelerated Concepts, wrote a white paper discussing his theory of structured weight contracts and presenting the results of the trial. Click icon to view white paper.

Trial B

During 2008, Accelerated Concepts expanded the programme to allow participants to choose their weight loss plan from a list of 27 possible variations, with plans of up to 50 pounds and 13 months. Incentives increased up to £425 according to targets. Participants also received the option to take their rewards in shopping vouchers. A fee structure was developed and tested. Participants may either be sponsored by an organisation such as an insurer, employer or public health body which pays the fee (‘Sponsored plan’); or they may pay the fee themselves (‘Self-paid plan’).

The second trial was launched under the ‘Pounds for Pounds’ and ‘Weight Wins’ brands and marketed through a variety of channels, including online research panels and classified advertising. Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust (National Health Service) commissioned Weight Wins (now a trading name of Accelerated Concepts) to conduct a trial of its programme. The one year trial launched in January 2009. Public response was strong, with 2,300 applications for 300 free places on sponsored plans (later expanded to 400 places).

Cumulative Results

For active Weight Wins members, average long-term weight loss (12 months from commencement) is 29.2 pounds (13.4% of initial body weight). 91% of active participants had lost over 5% of initial body weight, and 73% had lost over 10% of initial body weight. These results were audited and analysed by the University of Hertfordshire. These results are significantly superior to those of other broad-based weight loss programmes which have undergone clinical trials, and indicate a potential breakthrough in behaviour change and obesity. The most successful clinical study, of Weight Watchers (a commercial diet and support group programme), reported mean weight loss of 5.5% at 12 months for active participants, compared with 13.4% at 12 months reported by Weight Wins. (Systematic Review: An Evaluation of Major Commercial Weight Loss Programs in the United States,” Adam Gilden Tsai and Thomas Wadden, Annals of Internal Medicine, January 2005). Weight Wins believes that the cohorts participating in its trials do not differ fundamentally from cohorts in published trials of other interventions and results are therefore broadly comparable. The company is planning to participate in several randomized control trials, including a trial with subjects randomized into several behaviour change programmes.

The Weight Wins intervention also appears to be the first financial incentive programme to result in long-term weight loss. Comparisons may be made with mostly short-term interventions described in the following studies "Systematic Review of the use of financial incentives in treatments for obesity and overweight", V. Paul-Ebhohimhen and A. Avenell, Obesity Reviews, The International Association for the Study of Obesity, 2007; "A pilot study testing the effect of different levels of financial incentives on weight loss among overweight employees", Finkelstein, E.A., Linnan, L.A., Tate, D.F., & Birken, B.E., Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, September 2007; "Financial Incentive Based Approaches for Weight Loss: A Randomized Trial", Volpp, K.G., John, L.K., Troxel, A.B. et al.

Of course, not all participants complete their plan. It was found through a random sample that participants who stopped weighing in had maintained the average weight lost at 12 months. Assuming that all participants who stop weighing in maintain average weight loss (last reported weight), average long-term weight loss of all Weight Wins participants (including non-completers) is 18.2 pounds (8.3% of initial body weight), with 54% having lost at least 5% of body weight. Assuming that lapsed participants who stop weighing in regain 50% of their weight loss, average long-term weight loss of all Weight Wins participants (including non-completers) is 13.0 pounds (6.0% of initial body weight). Assuming that lapsed participants regain 100% of their weight loss as a ‘worst case scenario’, average weight loss of all Weight Wins participants (including non-completers) is 9.2 pounds (4.2% of initial body weight).

The largest amount of weight loss is 112 pounds and the longest active participant (several back-to-back plans) is 25 months.

Other Findings - Trial B

Participants have used a variety of strategies.  24% of participants belonged to a gym and 10% belonged to a weight loss group, while 66% conducted their regimen on their own through sensible eating and moderate exercise.  There have been no significant member complaints or reported health issues. 

Trial C

In October 2009, Weight Wins commenced a third trial, tripling the maximum weight loss target to 150 lbs and extending plans to up to 24 months including maintenance periods.  Rewards range between £80 and £1,750 depending upon plan length and difficulty and on the fee level selected.  The lower fee level is £45 joining fee plus £10 per month (maximum plan fees £285); the higher level is £90 plus £20 per month (maximum plan fees £570).  Altogether there are 48 plans from which to choose.  The programme is marketed directly to the public through classified advertising, paid online search, and press publicity.  Response is good.

Notes: