Sloucher vouchers

Thousands offered freebies if they wear trackers and improve their fitness

THOUSANDS of Britons will be rewarded with free cinema tickets or shopping discounts if they increase their daily step count and eat more healthily.

The Government will pilot a scheme in Wolverhampton next month to bribe adults into getting fit – and if successful, it could be rolled out nationwide.

Residents in the city – which has a population of 250,000 – will be offered fitness trackers which measure the number of steps they take.

The wrist-worn devices will be linked to an app which delivers personalised health recommendations.

This can include targets to help increase their step count and their fruit and vegetable intake. The app will also include a way to monitor people’s calorie intake and food habits, potentially through linking with loyalty cards used by major supermarkets.

Participants will then be able to collect points for their healthy behaviours, such as going for a jog, buying lots of vegetables or attending a gym class.

These points can then be cashed in for various rewards offered by local

‘Small rewards can have a big impact’

companies, such as vouchers, free tickets, discounts and gift cards. These could include cinema or theme park tickets and clothes vouchers.

If the £3million six-month trial is successful, the scheme could be expanded across the UK.

Ministers hope the plan will help slash obesity-related illnesses, which costs the NHS £6billion a year. Around twothirds of adults in the UK are overweight or obese.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has urged residents to get involved in the trial. He said: ‘This pilot is an exciting opportunity to see how we can empower people to make healthy changes to their lifestyle and I would encourage all adults in Wolverhampton to come forward and register their interest.

‘Taking part will help us better understand how rewards can help motivate people to make small adjustments to their daily lives that will have a lasting positive impact on their health.

‘I want to make it easier for people to make healthy choices and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is driving forward our levelling up agenda for health across the country.’

The scheme is part of Boris Johnson’s anti-obesity strategy which was launched last year and will also include a ban on junk food advertising.

The state-run app is being spearheaded by Sir Keith Mills who founded the Air Miles and Nectar customer loyalty programmes.

Health tech company HeadUp Systems will run the app and it will work with other companies to provide the rewards.

Public health minister Maggie Throup said: ‘I am looking forward to seeing how this pilot will help us better understand how small rewards can have a big impact in helping people make positive changes to their diet and physical activity. Wolverhampton is leading the way to develop innovative ways to ensure people can live healthier lives for longer.’

Wolverhampton was chosen to pilot the scheme because one third of its residents are classed as being physically inactive and a below average number of adults eat their five-a-day.

Councillor Ian Brookfield, leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: ‘We are delighted to be working with the Department for Health and Social Care and HeadUp on this important pilot programme to see whether offering incentives can help people make positive changes to improve their health and wellbeing.’

And Sir Keith, a health incentives adviser, said: ‘We intend to bring together a range of partners for this pilot programme in Wolverhampton to help motivate adults to make healthier choices.

‘This is a great opportunity for government, businesses and the local authority to work together to encourage people to take more exercise and eat a healthier diet.’