New research has shown that people could lose substantial amounts of weight if offered cash payments to do so.
A "air miles for dieters" scheme, backed by the NHS, has already seen thousands of pounds paid out in a bid to tackle the obesity problem in the UK.
And more people are signing up to the Weight Wins scheme, which pays out a maximum of £3,000.
Under the terms of the scheme, obese people who sign up must have a monthly weigh-in at their GP surgery, pharmacy or fitness centre.
A cash award is then given for every pound of weight lost, while bonuses are available for keeping the weight off over a long period of time.
Final rewards range from £80 to £3,000, depending upon the length of the plan and how much weight needs to be lost.
People can either pay a monthly fee or they can be sponsored by their employer, insurer or local NHS trust.
Data on 745 dieters found people lost more than a stone on average - 7.2% of their body weight.
This was more than double that of traditional dieters in a control group (5.5lb).
Only one in 10 of the dieters joined a weight loss group to reach their goal and just 24% belonged to a gym.
Most (66%) succeeded on their own by eating more sensibly and taking moderate exercise.
Weight Wins does not prescribe a specific method for weight loss but offers practical tips and "daily tick sheets" for dieting and exercise, validated by NHS dieticians.
Copyright Press Association 2010
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