Do weight-loss incentive programs actually work?

The Washington Post: Do Programs That Pay People To Lose Weight Really Work?
Such experiments live at the nexus of cost-benefit analysis, behavioral psychology and the obesity crisis. The best programs are carefully calculated to exploit human nature: our love of a windfall, the risk of losing a small but significant financial stake, the camaraderie of a team effort, the heat of competition. All in the hope it may push us to do something difficult and unpleasant: shed pounds (Bernstein, 10/10).