新奇事件簿 给钱刺激减肥（在线收听）

Nutritionists and dieting experts have long sought the answer to how to encourage people to lose weight. It seems overweight people are more interested in the size of their wallets than their waistlines. Researchers in the USA may have found one answer，cash rewards and penalties. A year-long study of 100 weight watchers by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota found a system of financial incentives and fines had a significant impact on people's success in shedding kilos. The weight-conscious dieters received $20 a month if they met their weight loss goals and had to pay a penalty if they didn't. Those motivated by financial gain lost an average of 4.1kg, compared to just 1kg for those without the cash bonus.

对于如何激励人们减肥，营养学家和减肥专家绞尽了脑汁。比起自己的腰围，肥胖人群似乎对腰包更感兴趣。美国的研究人员发现了答案，那就是现金酬劳和惩罚。明尼苏达州的梅约诊所对100名肥胖人群进行了长达一年的研究，他们发现经济鼓励和罚款对减肥起到了明显作用。如果达到减肥目标，他们每月就将获得20美元的鼓励，反之罚款。受到经济刺激的人群平均减肥4.1公斤，而与之相比，没有“赏钱”的肥胖人群只减肥1公斤。

The study followed 100 obese adults aged between 18 to 63, who were weighed every month for a year. They were put into four groups, some with a monetary focus, others with an emphasis on education and behaviour change. The $20 a month was enough for the financially-motivated dieters to out-diet the other groups. Mayo Clinic's Dr Donald Hensrud said: "Just wanting to lose weight isn't enough. Financial incentives can be powerful." Head researcher Dr Steven Driver found the fear of losing money was stronger than the thought of receiving a bonus. He said: "Fear of losing money tends to motivate people about two and a half times more than the prospect of gaining the same amount of money."

他们对100名年龄在18-63岁的肥胖人群进行了研究，他们会每月测量体重，并持续一年。他们被分成了四组，一些注重酬劳，一些侧重教育和行为变化。对于那些以拿到“赏钱”为目的的减肥者，20美金一个月足以让他们超越其他组成员。梅约诊所的唐纳德·韩斯鲁德医生称：“光想减肥是不够的。经济刺激也非常重要”。研究组长史蒂芬·德赖弗医生发现，怕在钱上吃亏的人比那些想得到酬劳的人更努力。他称：“比起那些希望获得等值资金的人群，怕惩罚人群的努力程度是他们的2.5倍。