title: Delay discounting and utility for money or weight loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity is related to a bias towards smaller immediate over larger delayed rewards. This bias is typically examined by studying single commodity discounting. However, weight loss often involves choices among multiple commodities. To our knowledge, no research has examined delay discounting of delayed weight loss compared with other commodities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined single commodity discounting of money and cross commodity discounting of money and weight loss in a sample of 84 adults with obesity or overweight statuses interested in weight loss. The exchange rate between money and weight loss was calculated, and participants completed two delay discounting tasks: money now versus money later and money now versus weight loss later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants discounted weight loss more than money (p< 0.001). When participants were divided into those who preferred weight loss (n= 61) versus money (n= 23), those who preferred money over weight loss discounted weight loss even more than individuals that preferred weight loss (p= 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater discounting of weight loss for those who preferred money suggest that idiosyncratic preferences are related to multiple commodity discounting, and greater discounting of weight loss across all participants provide insight on important challenges for weight control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo Buffalo NY USA.
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3922-6934
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Sze
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo Buffalo NY USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Slaven
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute Roanoke VA USA.
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Bickel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo Buffalo NY USA.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Epstein
keywords: cross commodity discounting; delay discounting; obesity; weight loss