Yale Law School Professor Ian Ayres LAW ’86 is helping people make good on their New Years resolutions to lose weight.

Ayres argues in “The $500 Diet” that people fail to lose weight in the new year is because they lack sufficient motivation. “The $500 Diet,” the new companion to Ayres’ recent book “Carrots and Sticks,” tells people that they must use incentives — in this case, the loss of $500 — to encourage weight loss.

“Ayres knows whereof he speaks,” the press release on the Law School website said. “After creeping up to 205 pounds, he managed to lose more than 20 and since then, has kept his weight below 185, all by putting money at risk through his Stikk.com website, an eBay auction, and a Twitter feed.”

The $500 Diet” is currently available on www.ianayres.com and will become available on Amazon January 19.