Submitted by padraic McCahill, Jan 6, 2008 18:06

I have designed and have patent pending on a commitment device for losing weight. It is a travel club that requires its members to lose a designated weight to travel. Members sign up and weigh in. Members are grouped with about 4 other dieter/travelers. Each member purchases a share of a travel voucher and signs a contract for the weight goal. Each might buy a $300 share of $1500 voucher. Now the members must lose a designated weight in a set time - say 15 lbs in 4 month. At the end of the 4 months members are again weighed. The voucher is divided among those members who made weight. The voucher can be then augmented and used to purchase travel through the travel service. The service serves as a referee for the group. It performs the weigh ins and bundles the groups. It may also help with other elements of losing weight. Profit is made through the sale of travel and dues. If it were done through a gym it would bring in new members. The degree of commitment is leveraged by a number of factors: dieters would feel the reward for the success would be the whole trip - not just $300. Travelers usually travel with friends - the friends would also be invested in the goal. This commitment serves as a carrot and a stick- there is obvious reward but there is the possible negative reenforcement that other people would be traveling with your money while you are left behind. Procrastination is the dieters biggest enemy. Dieters don't choose to stop dieting. They just postpone their goals. The time limit in this device prevents the procrastination. Dieters usually gain back their losses. This device could also be used for maintaining weight. The game could be played again with a 1 year period to keep the weight off. It is not a winner take all contest. Ideally everyone wins by losing. The travel service sells more travel to more people if the success rate is high.

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