Overweight people to be paid to lose weight in £ for lb scheme

Obese residents in Basildon are to be paid to lose weight in the first Pound-for-Pound scheme in the UK.

Under the slogan, “We are looking for big losers”, the local health authority is inviting 100 volunteers to take part in a pilot scheme which will see them paid £1 in Asda shopping vouchers for every pound they lose in weight.

The project is the first of its kind in the country and follows a similar initiative in America. If successful it could be rolled out across the UK.



Sarah Stanton, 36, a care worker, of Sunnedon, Vange, is one of 16 who have already signed up for the scheme. The married mum-of-four, who weighs 14stone 7lbs, says she hopes the incentive will help her to shed about two-and-a-half stone.

She said: “I saw the poster and just thought, ‘Why not?’ “I have gone on a load of diets before and they have not worked, so I thought I’d give it a go. I’m not excessively overweight, but I am overweight and I just want to get fit and healthy.”

The scheme has been commissioned by NHS South West Essex in response to a growing obesity problem among adults. The Pound-for-Pound programme is part of the Get Out There scheme, which aims to introduce more than 50 activities across the district to encourage healthy eating and exercise.