Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Reverse Psychology Weight Loss

You get your money back + a bonus when you reach your goal
  (+19, -2)(+19, -2)
(+19, -2)
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Before giving me a high-calorie fishbone, hear me out:

You go to Aunt Bertha's Weight Loss Clinic, where the lobby is decked with all sorts of donuts, appetizers, etc. You give Aunt Bertha $500 and sign a contract that says she will pay you $12 for every pound you lose, up to 50. If you lose all the weight, you get $600. If you gain weight or lose nothing, she keeps your money.

You now have to develop the will power to resist or give away the occasional fudge, brownies, recipes, croissants, etc. that Aunt Bertha mails you.

Aunt Bertha makes her money by 1) People who just give up, or only lose a fraction of their weight.

2) Interest earned on the money from customers.

The exact bonus rates can be adjusted for profitability based on actual customer statistics.

cowtamer, Oct 27 2006

Similar Idea http://www.stickk.com/
Pay money to stick to your resolutions, but they don't try to tempt you -- Aunt Bertha would [cowtamer, Dec 30 2008]


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       I kind of like this idea, but I suspect this would only work financially if it were Aunt Bertha's side business.
I may be wrong, though.
Zimmy, Oct 27 2006
  

       Hm, many people do buy gym memberships for basically the same (psychological) reason. I think Bertha can skip the sweets mailings. Temptation is everywhere already. Sticky bun.
Shz, Oct 28 2006
  

       I agree with [Shz]. You could even come across as caring and wanting to help, the $600 is just "another incentive" you could say. Do all of the things that weight watchers does plus the $600. My guess is that you would still come out ahead.
NotTheSharpestSpoon, Oct 28 2006
  

       I'm doing the advertising campaing for a new weight loss product to be lauched in Mexico. While doing research on the category, I've learned that even when there are ONLY A FEW (trust me, very few) weight-loss products and clinics that actually help people lose weight, not ONE can guarantee they will keep it off once they stop taking the pill/ drinking the tea/ visiting the clinic/following the diet. 80% of the people who, miraculously, lose weight in clinics or through "overpromising products" end up gaining it back as soon as they're left on their own again (within a maximum of 4 years in the luckiest cases).   

       Of course, every product and service in the weight-loss industry will tell you that, after the miracle, you will remain being thin, because they live out of lies. That's why people have become so skeptical.   

       This is where the real problem shows its face: Either through their own experience or that of someone they know, everyone is aware that these products are a fraud. Why, then, do they continue spending millions of dollars each year to buy a lie? Let alone the fact that people want to be slim without increasing their physical activity or improving their nutritional habits. They have too little will power and too much lack of faith on themselves: THEY THINK THEY CAN'T LOSE ALL THAT EXTRA WEIGHT WITHOUT EXTERNAL HELP, so they rather believe the lie, expect the miracle. Even knowing it's not true, at least it gives them the hope they can't find within themselves.   

       And that's why the number of pills, creams, patches that enter the market keeps increasing. No wonder the US (the land of consumism) is the most obese country in the world -México, my own country, is second, but for very different reasons-.   

       As long as overweight people continue to rely on ephimerous and addictive external "help" to make up for their lack of will power, they will never achieve the goal. That's why I know this idea would never work. At least, not for the customer. But then again, who cares? After all, thats how Aunt Bertha and Uncle Sam make their profit.
Pericles, Oct 28 2006
  

       If I may generalize, it's not the lack of will power, it's the lack of motivation. Everyone knows what to do, but won't until their situation causes them enough misery.
Shz, Oct 29 2006
  

       /México, my own country, is second, but for very different reasons/   

       What are those reasons, [Pericles]?
Texticle, Oct 29 2006
  

       [texticle]: Mexicans are overweight, ironically, because 70% of the population is poor. In search for better opportunities, they have to leave their rural environments, where they had a higher physical activity -usually agriculture- and ate fresher foods. In the cities, they do more sedentary jobs and, having very little money, end up eating cheap "tacos", "quesadillas" or whatever comes across their way on the streets, usually high fat foods. People in the cities are fat. People in the countryside are undernourrished (is that a word?) but slim, which isn't better.   

       //It is not the failure of these pills, creams, patches that make the US the most obese country in the world//   

       This is obvious, I was trying to make another point here. I don't think it's necessary to explain why the average american is fat. Nobody knows it better than them.   

       [d] The pattern you're mentioning is valid for all human beings, not only americans, which makes it a terrible excuse. I'll give you a couple of hints: sedentarism, microwaveable everything and consumism in general.
Pericles, Oct 30 2006
  

       Pericles? Oh my heavens. (And you have no worries of weight, you've been seen before.)   

       Seeing your presence here makes the whole house seem lighter.
blissmiss, Oct 31 2006
  

       Holaaaaaaa [bliss]. You were still missing on my "hello! I'm back" checklist. Hope not to vanish again too soon... Besos!
Pericles, Oct 31 2006
  

       I have an idea for weight loss. I have made a conclusion that reason for obesity and overweight in many countries is too much wheat!!!   

       Think about it, can you get any fast food without wheat. White flour has very little nutrients and it is mixed with sugar and fat and a bit of salt to make all sorts of baked stuff which makes you fat.   

       So the answer is to remove wheat off from your diet. You don't need to give up bread pasta or cookies etc. as there are alternatives. The alternatives are expensive so poor people would not be able afford so much junk food and would migrate towards healthier options.
Pellepeloton, Oct 31 2006
  

       //Think about it, can you get any fast food without wheat//   

       You are living proof that the real problem is not wheat, or rice, or corn... it's the growing FAST FOOD CULTURE!! With or without wheat, fast foods of ANY kind are bad bad BAD for everyone, not only the overweight.
Pericles, Nov 01 2006
  

       //White flour has very little nutrients and it is mixed with sugar and fat and a bit of salt to make all sorts of baked stuff which makes you fat.//   

       And it has nothing to do with the sugar or fat, just the wheat?
Shz, Nov 01 2006
  

       Gluteny!(just kidding - I don't subscribe to that idea, either).
Zimmy, Nov 01 2006
  

       I would have been neutral on this idea, but the part about mailing yummy junk food pushed it well into croissant territory.
DarkEnergy, Nov 01 2006
  

       //And it has nothing to do with the sugar or fat, just the wheat?//   

       If you go to any cafe and tell them that you don't eat wheat. the likelihood is that you also cut fat and sugars in the process.   

       I often end up having a salad because it has no wheat. ( unless it has Pasta). So in the process I am cutting off fat and sugar.   

       No need too count calories. I often end up burning calories in process of finding a cafe who cater for people who don't eat wheat.
Pellepeloton, Dec 29 2008
  

       //And it has nothing to do with the sugar or fat, just the wheat?// I think it has to do with both:   

       Most processed foods contain gluten in the form of "modified food starch" or some such. A person who is allergic to wheat gluten cannot eat any fast food, most "chain" restaurant food, or convenience foods from the grocery store. Many ice creams and candies contain "hidden" wheat.   

       If you cannot eat every time you feel the urge (since you will feel ill soon after), and you are forced to eat mostly healthy, whole foods, you will loose weight. White flour is empty calories, but is commonly consumed with other empty calories (sugar, etc)   

       My mom is an inch shorter and 20 pounds lighter than I due to this phenomenon.
ryokan, Dec 30 2008
  


 

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