Your money or your gut.

The New York Times published a couple articles recently commenting on the relationship between weight loss and your wallet.

The first article is actually kind of useful. It runs through the various ways to diet, from the D.I.Y. version, which just requires commitment and a reasonable eating plan; up to très cher weight loss methods such as hospital-sponsored programs. While the various levels of financial commitment have their benefits, ultimately, it's what you bring to it.

“What matters most is your level of motivation and your willingness to change,” says Kelly D. Brownell, a psychologist and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.

The next article reports on a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in which they paid people to keep weight off.

Participants were divided into three groups. The first received $60 for keeping a 5 percent weight loss for a year. The second agreed to pay about $100; the money would be returned if they lost 5 percent of their weight, and they would get bonuses for losing more. The third, a control group, was offered only $20, a reward for staying in the program for a year.

The study... found that money had very little effect. The group that was offered $60 lost an average of just 1.4 pounds, while the controls lost 1.8. Those who made the $100 deposit dropped an average of 1.9 pounds more than the controls, but, the authors write, people motivated enough to risk their own money would most likely have lost weight with any program.

I wonder if these researchers have any concept of the value of a dollar. I bet at least a couple of them tip their waitress a bright, shiny quarter for good service. That's just not enough money to impact results.

Seriously, if someone offered me $60 not to eat banana cream pie for a year, I'd tell them to take a flying leap.