Table 4.

Themes and Representative Quotes from Interviews with Deposit Contract Arm Participants

Desire for extra motivation to lose weight was primary reason for deposit contract participation

“The first month, especially the first month we made the deposit as like encouragement for me to actually like lose some weight. I figured if I put some money on the line then I would be more compelled to be active, eat healthier, eat right in order to lose weight.” “Well I figured that participating in that respect would give me extra encouragement to stick with it. I need all the encouragement I can get. I just felt it was an extra incentive to keep me on track.”

Lack of confidence in meeting weight loss goals limited participation in deposit contracts

“I just honestly didn’t feel confident about like everything that was going on. I’m currently in school full-time and working full-time. I’m like—I’m not really gonna dedicate myself. I was gonna try, but I knew the likelihood of me actually like dedicating myself 100 percent to the study wasn’t there. I didn’t see a point in making the deposits.” “It was just harder for me to lose weight then for whatever reason. Each month I would try to look at it and go, you know I’m never gonna make this weight. Even if it was recalculated after a while, it was like I’m never gone lose this.”

Fear of -- and prior experience with -- losing money also limited participation

“Basically I didn’t want to take any chances on losing any money.” “…I had a good momentum in the beginning. Then I started to lose that momentum. I think like towards August I was actually losing some money, so then I told myself you know what, I’m not gonna do it because I’m losing out.”

Greater personal commitment to weight loss could have led to more deposits

“Nothing your company did or nothing the study did. It had to come from me actually.” “…It would have to be definitely on me, and being more of—more strict with making that effort to actually lose weight.”