WEIGHT-LOSSCHECK THE MARKET DAILY
Economists are all about data. That’s why
Payne and Barnett weigh themselves every
morning. “We discovered that our bodies
are incredibly reactive to what we eat each
day,” says Payne. “We can see one day’s
eating behaviour on the scale the following
morning. Without being able to calibrate
our eating behaviour against our weight, we
would never have understood how little we
need to eat.”
Example: Barnett realised that eating
pizza, more than any other food, affected his
morning weigh-ins. Now, he monitors how
frequently he eats pizza and maintains his
weight loss. “We stuck to good eating
behaviour because the number from the
scale that morning was firmly implanted front
and centre in our minds,” says Payne.
Get to know your weight gain instigators
(e.g., beers with the boys, Sunday dinner at
mum’s), and then manage them.ANNOUNCE YOUR EARNINGS
Letting the world know your weight-loss
goals may help you achieve them. One study
found that using a social media platform to
announce your progress may help you drop
more kilos. It keeps the pressure on you to
continue the program, and all the virtual
back-pats provide added incentive.PRETEND YOU’RE LOSING MONEY
For some, it may be better to turn the
financial weight-loss equation around.
Instead of focusing on how much your net
worth will rise if you drop a few pants sizes,
try focusing on the cash you’re losing, or will
be losing, due to obesity-related problems. A
2016 study found that among overweight or
obese adults, financial incentives for physical
activity were most effective when framed as
a monetary loss.EMPLOYERS FIND
HEAVIER EMPLOYEES
LESS DESIRABLE AS
COWORKERS AND BOSSES