If people have a motivation other than their health of course they are going to gain the weight back. I would guess that any motivation other than health would make it more likely for the person to take drastic measures that will drop weight quickly, but are ultimately unsustainable and unhealthy.

And even if they don't take drastic measures, if they aren't motivated by health then they have no incentive to keep the weight off.

The prospect of losing a significant amount of weight is akin to going into drug rehab. It will only succeed if the individual wants to get better. External "carrots" like money can really only be expected to motivate short-term. I'm not surprised at the results of this study, though it highlights the ignorance of even the most vulnerable population to the harmful effects of obesity. I think a more productive vein of research might be into how to best educate those at risk for serious obesity-related complications. There must be some methods that are better than others and education is going to have to be a part of the effort to help many obese people get healthier. They have to have a reason to change. As the researchers in this study confirmed, people simply don't have the forethought to recognize the long-term risks of their behavior. Somehow, they need to be graphically told the story of their future in no uncertain terms. It might be a hard sell, but it could save a huge number of lives.

NutritionPerfected.com/np-blog.html