UPHS Weight Loss Study
UPHS Weight Loss Study
The goal of this study is to compare a novel approach using financial incentives to changes
 in health benefit design and their impact on employee weight loss.
Employers are increasingly looking for opportunities to encourage weight loss among
 employees. While studies have shown that financial incentives can effectively encourage
 weight loss, little is known about their use in health benefits design. The goal of this
 study is to determine whether a financial incentive program delivered to obese University of
 Pennsylvania Health System employees can effectively encourage weight loss when compared to
 changes in health benefit design.

 This is a randomized controlled trial involving financial incentives with four study arms:
 control, delayed gratification, immediate gratification, and financial incentive with
 frequent feedback. Participation in this study will last about 12 months.

 The primary goal of the study is to test the effects of a novel financial incentive program
 using a lottery with frequent feedback to normal benefit design structures.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Adults age 18-70

 -  BMI of 30 or above

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Inability to consent

 -  Illiteracy and/or inability to speak, read, and write English

 -  Participation in another research study

 Conditions that would make participation unsafe:

 -  Current treatment for drug or alcohol use

 -  Consumption of at least 5 alcoholic drinks per day

 -  Myocardial infarction or stroke within the past 6 months

 -  Current addiction to prescription medicines or street drugs

 -  Serious psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., severe major depressive disorder, bipolar
 disorder, schizophrenia)

 -  Pregnant or currently breastfeeding

 -  Diabetic and using any medicine besides metformin to control blood glucose

 -  Metastatic cancer

 -  Unstable medical conditions that would likely prevent the subject from completing the
 study

 -  Previous diagnosis of an eating disorder

 -  History of unsafe weight loss behaviors such as binging or the use of laxatives