Can playing virtual reality games like Second Life make you thinner?

August 10, 3:14 PMNutrition ExaminerCarol Bardelli

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Virtual reality activities may equate to real world fitness.

 If you're familiar with Second Life or any virtual reality game, you know what an avatar is and that they rarely look like your real self. An avatar is basically a virtual representation of yourself, and they're virtually always slim, attractive, and physically fit. For more on Second Life in general, see video below.

A new study suggests that spending time in virtual reality with your slim and fit avatar may encourage you to pursue real healthy behaviors and become a healthier and more physically fit you in real life.

According to a study by researchers at RTI International, this study, published in the August issue of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, found evidence that individuals are inclined to participate in real time physical activities if their virtual avatars like those in Second Life participated in virtual physical activities.

"Based on these preliminary results, it seems likely that virtual reality users may adjust their identity to be consistent with that of their avatars," said Elizabeth Dean, research survey methodologist at RTI and the study's lead author. "The public health urgency surrounding the issue of obesity means that any intervention that might possibly affect real-life health should be considered."

Dean's research team interviewed 29 Second Life virtual world users. Half of those interviewed were questioned by a thin avatar, the other half were interviewed by an obese avatar. The study found those interviewed by the thin avatar were more likely to report that their own avatar was slender or fit. Those interviewed by the obese avatar were less likely to report having a fit or slim avatar. Participants also reported different body mass indexes (BMI) depending on which avatar interviewed them. Of course, this could be attributed to peer pressure or identification with the avatar they interacted with.

Dean's researchers concluded that the ease of manipulating the size and shape of an avatar in virtual reality settings like Second Life can help us understand social factors that influence obesity, body image, and physical fitness. The fact that people are influenced by their avatars leads us to believe avatars could become a useful tool for changing real world behaviors and creating a healthier lifestyle that may promote a healthy body weight. Yet for others, it may set such an unreachable high standard that they may completely ignor their real world bodies. After all, some people use virtual reality as the ultimate escape from the realities of physical life.

Second Life documentary