New Pilot to Help People Eat Better and Exercise More

The Government has announced the Health Incentives Scheme as part of a £100 million package to help people living with obesity to lose weight, improve physical wellbeing and prevent health conditions before they develop.  
 
A pilot, which will launch in January 2022, will see users wear wrist-worn devices that can generate personalised health recommendations, such as increasing step count, consuming more fruit and vegetables and reducing portion sizes. Users will be awarded points for healthy behaviour which can be redeemed for gym passes, discounts at selected shops and cheaper cinema or theme park tickets. 
 
Research suggests financial incentives can motivate healthier eating and increase rates of exercise – examples such as Singapore’s National Steps Challenge, show encouraging results.
 
The Government is committed to helping people make healthier choices and increasing physical activity. Illnesses related to obesity cost the NHS £6 billion a year and the pandemic highlighted that COVID-19 disproportionately affected people who are overweight.  

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Source: Gov.uk