It might seem from the a-pill-can-cure-all department, but it’s sound science: Watching a video of someone like you exercising on a treadmill can help you lose weight.
A new study Other Hearst Subscriptions Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology found that, after watching videos of avatars demonstrating behaviors that would lead to weight loss, women modeled those habits in real life.
Eight overweight women participated in a four-week pilot program. They selected the shape and skin color of their avatar, a feature that the study authors believed would enable the women to visualize themselves. Once a week, the women watched a 15-minute video featuring their alter ego in four different scenarios.
In one lesson, the avatar sat down for dinner and had to choose between a plate with a large portion or a normal serving size. In another, the avatar walkedMaster the Half.
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After the four weeks, the women had lost an average of 3.5 pounds. All eight women in the study reported that the videos influenced their diet and exercise behavior and that they would recommend the program to others.
The study built on previous behavioral science research, including tests conducted at Stanford University that found that people who watched a look-alike avatar run on a treadmill were more apt to exercise the next day than people whose avatars did not resemble them.
One of the study authors, Melissa Napolitano, Ph.D., an associate professor of health at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, noted that, along with an avatar resembling the women, using real-world settings was key to helping participants break healthy behaviors into manageable steps.
“This small study suggests that virtual reality could be a promising new tool for building healthier habits,” she said.
