Weight Loss and How Virtual Reality Can Change Behavior

TIME, July 2013

ARTICLE SUMMARY:

There's been much study and no conclusive answer on how virtual worlds like video games affect our behaviors, such as a proclivity to violence and aggression. And, as this recent study would suggest, the potential to change behaviors for the best. The scientists at USC believe that avatars are an untapped resource in changing behaviors in the real world; in their studies, overweight women made avatars that resembled them, and had their virtual self choose healthy meals and watched them engage in exercises. The same women were found to be more likely to also make these healthy decisions in the real world after executing it in virtual reality. Very interesting read on how virtual reality can help influence changing social behaviors or lifestyle choices like smoking, relationships, eating and exercising.


SITE: http://healthland.time.com/2013/07/01/from-world-of-warcraft-to-weight-loss-how-virtual-reality-can-change-behavior/