The contestants on NBC's The Biggest Loser compete in the ultimate of weight loss challenges hopefully for the sake of overall health and fitness but first and foremost for money. Lots of money. The one who comes out "the biggest loser" at the end of the show takes home $250,000. That's quite a chunk of change. And quite a motivator too.

Money motivates. And employers are starting to capitalize on this fact by paying staff members to slim down. It beats paying medical and absenteeism costs for overweight employees. And it seems to work.

Studies show overweight employees who were compensated for their weight loss efforts lost more weight than those who received no monetary reward. Now it's not clear whether or not participants will keep the weight off or if this strategy will be profitable for companies in the long-term, but financial incentives are surely worth a try. Don't you think?