Place a bet on losing weight | 打赌减肥正夯!

打赌减肥正夯!

by Nadia Chung

Dieting is never easy, but a website can help those who are determined to lose weight.

节食向来不容易，但有个网站能帮助那些决心要减重的人。

How many New Year's resolutions have been made, only to dissolve before the end of the month or even the week? As we all know, making a decision is easy, but being _(1)_ is not. This is especially true when a sense of achievement is not enough _(2)_ to reach a goal. Dean Karlan, an economics professor at Yale University, knows all too well that people don't always follow through with what they say they want to do. However, provided with the right incentives, people are more likely to achieve their goals, _(3)_ losing weight or exercising regularly. Mr. Karlan believes, based on his own experience and years of research, that commitment contracts help people _(4)_ a commitment they would not otherwise keep.

Karlan brainstormed about his idea with a fellow professor and a student at Yale. Together, they soon _(5)_ stickK.com, a website where people sign commitment contracts. The second K in stickK is the _(6)_ symbol for contract used in legal documents. Upon signing one, a person agrees to place a bet on a certain goal. If the goal is not reached by a deadline, the amount of money that is bet is _(7)_ to a charity, an anti-charity, a friend, or even a foe. Losing money is a very realistic threat _(8)_ a strong incentive. That is why people that are eager to _(9)_ those unwanted pounds readily give out their credit card information when they place their bets on stickK. Office workers, college students, and even athletes have had success taking _(10)_ of this service. If you still need stimuli to lose weight this year, rush to stickK, place a bet, and start exercising right away.

(A) founded (B) such as (C) donated (D) stick to    (E) advantage

(F) consistent  (G) shorthand   (H) get rid of  (I) motivation  (J) as well as

   我们曾立下多少新年新希望，但结果却在一个月或甚至一个星期内就被抛到九霄云外了？我们都知道，做出决定很简单，但要贯彻始终却很困难。尤其是成就感不足以构成实现目标的动力时，情况更是如此。耶鲁大学的经济学教授迪安‧卡兰非常清楚人们并非总能坚持完成他们表示自己想做的事。然而，只要提供适当的诱因，人们就比较有可能达成他们的目标，像是减重或规律运动。基于他本身的经验和多年的研究，卡兰相信承诺合约能帮助人们固守原本可能不会被遵守的承诺。

　　卡兰与耶鲁的另一位教授和学生一起脑力激荡出他这个想法。不久他们便共同创立了 stickK.com，一个人们可以在上面签下承诺合约的网站。stickK 当中的第二个 K 是法律文件中合约（contract）的节略符号。一旦签署了合约，就表示你同意下赌注在某个目标上。如果这个目标未在期限内达成，赌注的钱就会全数捐赠给慈善机构、你不认同的慈善机构、朋友或甚至是敌人。损失金钱是很实际的威胁以及强烈的诱因。这就是为什么急欲摆脱多余体重磅数的人在 stickK 上下赌注时，会很乐意交出信用卡资料的原因。上班族、大学生，甚至是运动员都已成功利用这项服务达成目标。如果你今年仍然需要点刺激来减重，快上 stickK 下注，然后立刻开始运动吧。

答案：  1. (F)  2. (I)  3. (B)  4. (D)  5. (A)  
6. (G)  7. (C)  8. (J)  9. (H)  10. (E)

For Your Information

美国目前有不少网站提供这种网络打赌减肥服务，除了 StickK.com 以外，Fatbet.com也是很受欢迎的打赌减肥网站。Fatbet的创始人表示，这种减肥方式确实有效，因为人们不想输。他说，自从 2008 年 1 月创建这个减肥网站后，约有 6,000 人注册，其中百分之八十的人赢得赌注，顺利减掉体重。据统计，通过 Fatbet 打赌减肥的人平均能减掉 6.4 公斤，而且不用付任何费用。