It’s well said that there are two sureties in life ‘death and taxes’, but since time in memorial Man or Woman has also ‘gambled’ and ‘dieted’. So I wasn’t that surprised to see the two combined when I tuned into the BBC Morning news on television today and saw a news item covering a new fad called Stickk.
American website, Stickk.com, enables its members to create a diet game-plan which encompasses them betting that they’ll lose weight each week or pay money to a charity of their choice. Helping those that need that extra emphasis to keep to their regime the threat of losing money is off-set by the pay off and reward of losing weight, feeling fit and healthier.
There can also be a twist. Interestingly a member can search through the charities on offer and even choose an anti-charity cause to bet against, this is a charity perhaps one dislikes or doesn’t believe in, so if they don’t lose weight each week they end up giving money to something they are against.
Whether or not charities receive a lot of contributions from this method of dieting time will only tell, staying to a diet and regular exercise regime is not so easy for many, so no doubt some will gain from those members who do Stickk at it and perhaps for many years. Nice to see gambling and charity can work together harmoniously.
Stickk is one of many sites appearing in the US and has started quite a trend in offices across many states whereby work colleagues bet each other too on how they will do with their ‘bet diet’. Will it catch on over here in the UK? Well a few more promotions on the BBC and national press and it will be the summer’s new diet craze no doubt.
