Capsule commentary on Kurtzman et al., Social incentives and gamification to promote weight loss: the LOSE IT randomized, controlled trial

Excerpt

Kurtzman et al. report a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of gamification interventions on weight loss among 196 adults with obesity.¹ Participants formed teams with a family member or friend prior to randomization, and were given a goal of 10,000 daily steps and a weight loss goal of 6–8% of baseline weight. Intervention participants also received a multi-component intervention involving weekly targets and entry into a team game. This involved the following: (1) a step count pledge, (2) weekly points linked with the pair’s weigh-in adherence, and (3) a scoring system that promoted or demoted the pair to four levels based on weight loss. One intervention group also had their weight and step data shared regularly with their primary care physician. Financial incentives were provided to participants for completing weigh-ins. …