Just about anyone over the age of 10 can tell you the dangers of being overweight or obese: increased risk of developing arthritis, breathing problems (such as sleep apnea), cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and more. Then then there are the quality of life issues: anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, sexual problems, discrimination (including lower salaries), and others. Given all that, it’s no surprise that at any given moment, tens of millions of people are on some kind of diet. But diets by themselves don’t work. In fact, they may do more harm than good (more on that below). 
So if the prospect of a longer, healthier life doesn’t motivate people to lose weight–and keep it off–what does? Two words: Carrots and sticks (we’re talking metaphors here, not food groups). Or, put a little differently, bribery and financial penalties.
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