Let An Avatar Teach You How To Lose Weight
Weight-Loss Avatar Temple University Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine In a small study, women who watched virtual representations of themselves exercise ended up exercising more in real-life, too. It sounds pretty silly, but a new study suggests that watching virtual people work out could help you shed a few pounds. In psychology, there's something called "social cognitive theory." Part of that theory is the idea that when good things happen to people because they behaved a certain way, observers are more likely to imitate that behavior, especially if the observer and the observed look alike. Seeing your twin sibling shoot hoops? Probably helpful. Watching NBA stars do it? Maybe not so much. A study recently published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology examined how that effect relates to weight loss--but used virtual people in place of real ones. The team of researchers made an avatar...