Should incentives be used to help people quit unhealthy habits?
The majority of an advisory group made up of members of the public believes that incentive systems could be an effective way of encouraging people to change their unhealthy lifestyles providing that certain conditions are met. The findings are outlined in a report published today (27 September) by NICE’s Citizens Council. At a three-day meeting held earlier this year, NICE’s independent Citizens Council was asked to consider whether there are circumstances when incentives could acceptably be used to help motivate people to live healthier lives. While this approach is not commonly used in the UK to improve areas of public health, the Council heard of examples where local incentive schemes had been piloted. These included an initiative to encourage pregnant women to stop smoking by offering supermarket vouchers; people receiving cash for losing agreed amounts of weight, and children being rewarded with toys in exchange for eating more fruit and vegetables. By the end of the Council meeti
