Don: Hey, Ya?l, wanna make a bet? Ya?l: That depends, Don. What do you have in mind? D: I'll bet you fifty bucks that I can lose more weight than you over the next three months. Y: But I don't need to lose any weight, and neither do you--you're a beanpole. D: I know. But I wanted to do a test to see if diet betting really works. Y: Diet betting? D: Yeah. It's a weight-loss tactic where people at work or groups of friends join weight loss pools. Everyone puts in twenty-five bucks or whatever, and whoever loses the most weight in a given time period wins the pot. Y: Interesting. So does diet betting actually work? D: Well, studies have shown that people are more likely to successfully quit smoking or lose weight when they're given a substantial economic incentive. So in general, yes, diet betting seems to work for some people. There are even websites where you can make diet bets with other people. One site actually takes your credit card information and charges you unless you meet your weight loss goals. Y: But I wonder how effective diet betting is in the long run? I mean, when the contest is over, you might go right back to eating junk and gain the weight back. D: True. But the idea, as with any weight loss program is that the initial diet leads to a more comprehensive lifestyle change toward healthy eating and exercise. Whether or not that happens depends on the individual.