Using Social Incentives and Gamification for Weight Loss Promotion

Obesity is a leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality affecting more than one in three adults in the United States. Modifiable health behaviors contribute to this growing epidemic. Insights from behavioral economics have shown promise for motivating behavior change through the use of financial incentives. However, social incentives or those influences that impact individuals to adjust their inherent behaviors based on social ties and connections have not been well examined. Social incentives are a more patient-centered approach that leverages and enhances the existing connections and influences on the individual. Since one individual's behavior change is connected to many others within their network, social incentives have the potential to be a scalable intervention that impacts the community. Gamification, or the use of game design in non-game situations, is often used in the real world, but its effectiveness is unknown. In this study, investigators will conduct a 36-week, three-arm, randomized, controlled trial using a team-based model to compare two weight loss programs to control. Each intervention will use insights from behavioral economics to leverage social incentives and gamification.

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 to 70 years
• Ability to read and provide informed consent
• Has an iPhone 4 or newer
• Have self-reported body mass index of 30 or greater and in-person body mass index of 28 or greater

Exclusion criteria

• Conditions that would make participation infeasible such as inability to provide informed consent, illiteracy or inability to speak, read, and write English
• Conditions that would make participation unsafe such as current treatment for drug or alcohol use, myocardial infarction or stroke within the last 6 months, metastatic cancer, pregnant, breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant during study period, previous diagnosis of an eating disorder, or history of unsafe weight loss practices
• Already enrolled in another weight loss study
• Any other medical conditions or reasons that they could not complete a 36-week weight loss program