Incentives ‘are the best way to encourage weight loss’

The best way to encourage weight loss is to offer people incentives, not penalise them for being obese, an expert has claimed.

Sue Baic, senior lecturer at the department of exercise, nutrition and health sciences at the University of Bristol, said that giving people access to affordable healthy foods would encourage them to lose weight.

Her comments follow the publication of research by Friends Provident, which revealed that 44 per cent of people support the introduction of a “fat tax”.

Over a third of those surveyed by the firm agreed that the NHS should not prioritise people who fail to look after their health.

“I think the incentive scheme is better than the penalty scheme. It is always best to have carrot rather than stick,” said Ms Baic.

She went on to advise those trying to lose weight to opt for a diet that contains lots of fruit and vegetables and oily fish.

Would an incentive or punishment be more effective in getting you to lose weight?