Avatar Diet: Being thin in “second life” can make you thin in your first?

Credit: RTI International

The Avatar Diet: Does this Avatar Make My Butt Look Big?

Dr. Robyn Silverman

Trying to get rid of that belly fat? Looking to thin down those thighs? Want to straighten out your body image and “combat obesity” while looking at your computer screen? It’s time to join the virtual world!

If you were ever wondering if a vitual representation of oneself (Second Life) could really have any influence on the fitness or appearance of the actual person in real life, according to one study out of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, it can.

The researchers at RTI suggest that having a physically fit and thin avatar may just be the next thing to put this “obesity epidemic” behind us.  I mean, who needs Atkins or South Beach when you can have The Avatar Diet? The researchers found that having a thin and physically avatar fit may encourage individuals to become healthier and more physically fit in their real lives.  Yes– that’s right– people are more likely to engage in physical activities in their real lives if their avatars in Second Life engage in 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,” –Elizabeth Dean (research survey methodologist at RTI and the study’s lead author)

The results suggest that 80 percent of respondents who reported high levels of physical activity for their avatars reported participating in high levels of physical activity in their real lives. This is where it really gets strange for me though– this link is suggested to be causal (the avatar is thin which causes the person to go and get fit too)– rather than a simple correlation (the avatar is thin AND the person is thin). It seems logical that if someone was to make a representation of themselves, that if they were “fit” and going to the gym, they would make their avatar do so as well.  It would “represent” them.  Not sure where the causal link idea is coming in– especially because good research does not suggest causation– simply, correlations.  But I digress…

Another aspect of the study showed that if the participants were interviewed by a thin avatar for this study rather than an obese avatar (this is just getting strange), the participant would be more likely to confess a higher BMI (Body Mass Index).  In addition, almost 3/4 of participants, when interviewed by the thin avatar, told the interviewer that their avatar was also thin.  But when interviewed by the obese avatar, only 1/3 of participants described their avatar shape as thin. Apparently, people like to bend the truth about their own bodies in Second Life around thin avatars.  Geez.  Just like high school again.

Interestingly, the virtual world is becoming a place where some health professionals are sending their clients for treatment.  Since people are apparently influenced by their avatars, and want to live up to what they put out there in the virtual world, hanging out in Second Life could make a difference in one’s first.

Are they creating virtual gyms and virtual low cal meals too? This one remains to be seen.  Considering that this study was only done with 27 participants (a very low research number which provides very low power to the results), we can’t totally buy what these researchers are saying. And of course there is the lingering question– does size really matter?  Does it really have to?

But no doubt, people will give “avatar diet” a shot.  No quick pill to lose weight this time– just a quick dose of Second Life.

Too Fat? Discrimination Against Surgeon General Nominee Dr. Regina Benjamin

Too fat to be Surgeon General?

Too Fat to Be Surgeon General?

Discriminatory Claims Circulating Against Dr. Regina Benjamin’s “Fitness” to Be Surgeon General

Dr. Robyn Silverman

There have been some unfortunate derogatory groans about Dr. Regina Benjamin’s Fitness to be President Obama’s pick for Surgeon General.  Her weight is throwing opinions of her fitness for the job off kilter.

Case and point from one angry blogger:  “Rather than select a fat Black woman Obama should have chose a Black woman with a body mass index of 25 or less.”

Someone else asked: “How can Dr. Benjamin promote healthy eating if she herself is obese?”

and

“One of the greatest health threats in our population is obesity. Now we have an obese Surgeon General as a role model. How is she to impact the nation’s health if she can’t even take care of herself?”

Of course, her qualifications speak for themselves:

• Bachelor’s degree in 1979 from Xavier University of Louisiana
• Attended Morehouse School of Medicine from 1980 to 1982
• Received a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1984.
• Completed her residency in family practice at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in 1987
• Founded the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in 1990 in Alabama
• Serving as Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic its CEO since.

Today, the National Organization for Women (NOW) is speaking out saying that Dr. Benjamin “personifies the message of NOW’s Love Your Body Day (LYBD) campaign, which promotes equality for all people regardless of physical appearance.”

My friend and body image book contributor, Chenese Lewis is also an actress, plus-sized model, and chair of the LYBD committee for Hollywood NOW. She had something to say on the topic:

“Discrimination based on appearance is wrong in any form, period,” Lewis said. “It’s unfortunate that this is even an issue when Dr. Benjamin is more than qualified and capable of handling the position of Surgeon General. This is yet another example of how society puts more value on outer appearance over ability, integrity, and character.”

Zoe Ann Nicholson, President of Pacific Shore NOW, was also outraged about the discriminatory slaps Dr. Benjamin was receiving due to her weight:

“When I see Dr. Benjamin, I see a woman I can trust,” Nicholson said. “If I have chest pains, it might not be a heart attack or something related to weight. She might understand that just because I am big, a doctor should not give me double doses. Both of these things have happened to me. Since most American women are size 14 or more, I am really encouraged to have a Surgeon General who can see us as people, not as number on a body fat scale chart.”

So…what do you think?  Should the Surgeon General pick be thinner? Does weight negate her stellar qualifications? Give us your opinion.

Is the Jessica Simpson fat hype over the top?

Dr. Robyn Silverman

Jessica Simpson has been spotted ***gasp*** looking heavier than her ultra-skinny Dukes of Hazzard daisy-duke wearing self.  Shall we call out the calvary? The farm? Has everyone gone insane?

We just went through this whole thing with Jennifer Love Hewitt– didn’t we?

Media outlets are shouting it from the roof tops– like this one; “Jessica Simpson Shocks Fans With Noticeably Fuller Figure” (Fox News).  They couch insults in their intro:

“Donning mom-jeans, a tight black tank top and a muffin-top-inducing leopard belt, the songstress’ appearance left the gossip-world abuzz.”

And they go on to ask a barrage of questions:

Is Jess preggers? Did she gain sympathy weight for sis Ashlee (who just had a baby with hubby Pete Wetnz)? Is it all a ploy to get her on the cover of a magazine? Or is it, more likely, that the star has been eating the same diet that her Dallas Cowboys quarterback boyfriend Tony Romo does?”

Of course, that’s just one of the many news outlets covering this “very important” development.

OK. These jeans don’t flatter the figure.  But is this a reason for a media sensation?

Does a celebrity have a right to gain weight?  Or must she retain the highly sexualized thin image that looks to unattainable in real life? And, if it’s the latter, how are we to explain to our girls why gaining weight gets so much negative attention in our society?

I can’t imagine walking around with cameras in my face (and on my rear) at all times looking to see if the paparazzi can capture my cellulite.  Many believe that this is the life of a celebrity– and they asked for it.  Perhaps being in the limelight means you must be ready for all sides– good and bad.  I always get refocused on the girls who look to Jessica Simpson and other celebs (Miley Cyrus, the Lohan girls, PussyCat Dolls) for inspiration.  What goes on in the minds of girls when they see all the fat bashing going on in the media– even when the celebs just look…normal? Yup.  Body Image Gone Wild.

At least Little sister Ashlee is showing some sister solidarity…who is disgusted by media outlets and bloggers who are calling her sister “fat.” Writing on her MySpace blog, Ashlee said the comments were “embarrassing and belittling to all women”. Further: “All women come in different shapes, sizes, and forms and just because you’re a celebrity, there shouldn’t be a different standard.”

Former trainer Harley Pasternak, author of The 5 Factor Diet, also got in on the discussion:  “She has curves where a woman needs to have curves. We all go a little bit up and a little bit down. But she’s healthy…She’s still sexy. She’s still a beautiful woman. And I have no problem with the way she looks. I think if more people looked the way she looks now, the country would be a lot healthier.”

Of course, and Jessica has spoken on this topic herself:

“Curves are better. “I don’t get the whole rail thing. It’s not good for your heart, it’s not good for your mind; it’s emotionally destructive, it really is.” (Harpers Bazaar magazine)

Please chime in.  We’re ready to hear your thoughts.

Media-Not Just a Body Image Problem- A Health Risk Too

Media Exposure Causing All Sorts of Problems for Children

Dr. Robyn Silverman

Well, we knew it was a problem for our kids to be exposed to too much TV– we’ve heard it associated with  poor body image and pressure to grow up too fast in previous articles.

Now– more problems. A study has been released that shows that children who watch a lot of TV, play a lot of video games, and spend a lot of time surfing the web are more likely to be in for lots of health problems and compromising behaviors. In particular; obesity, smoking, and early sexual activity– among others.

Who? The researchers from U.S. National Institutes of Health, the California Pacific Medical Center, and Yale University worked together on this study.

What was studied? Going through 173 studies since 1980, the researchers looked at how exposure to a variety of media sources impacts the physical health of children and adolescents. This was one of the largest assessments in this area done to date.

What did the researchers look at? These (mainly U.S.) studies, typically largely on TV. However, some also looked at the impact of video games, films, music, and computer and Internet use. Of these, 75% found that increased media viewing was correlated with negative health outcomes for children.

What were the indings? Young people who are exposed to more media are more likely to become obese, start smoking and begin earlier sexual activity than their peers who spend less time in front of a screen. They also found statistical correlations with high media exposure and low academic achievement, drug use, and alcohol use.

“The fact that it was probably more a matter of quantity than actual content is also a concern. We have a media-saturated life right now in the 21st century. And reducing the number of hours of exposure is going to be a big issue.” — NIH bioethicist, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel

What’s this about early sexual activity and media exposure? In the study, a whopping 13 of 14 studies that evaluated sexual behavior in young people found an association between media exposure and earlier initiation of sexual behavior.

Do you remember the recent RAND study that showed that teens who watch more sexually themed TV are more likely to have a higher risk of teen pregnancy? So we must have seen this one coming.

What’s this about obesity and media exposure? There have been connections between obesity and media previously—we’ve heard explanations such as children tending to mindlessly eat (and eat high calorie food) in front of the TV. We’ve heard that children who are watching a lot of TV also are not outside running around or participating in some kind of physical activity. One study cited in this report found that children who spent more than eight hours watching TV per week at age 3 were more likely to be obese at 7 than their peers who watched less than 8 hours of TV per week. Research also shows that many U.S. children, even toddlers, were said to watch far more than children elsewhere and far more than is recommended.

“The average parent doesn’t understand that if you plop your kids down in front of the TV or the computer for five hours a day, it can change their brain development, it can make them fat, and it can lead them to get involved in risky sexual activity at a young age,” –Jim Steyer, the chief executive of Common Sense Media, financer of the study.

Speak your mind! Tell us what you think!

picture: Jupiter Images

“Am I too fat, Mommy?” Kindergarteners with low body image

Tots Stress about Body Image

Dr. Robyn J.A. Silverman

Yet another study reveals that we’re messing up our children when it comes to body image even when children are as young as age 4.  Go us.

An Australian study performed with 53 children across 4 kindergarten classes revealed that parents and teachers are inadvertently sending messages about the “perfect body” to these youngsters.

“They do this by their attitude to their own bodies, and by suggesting to their daughter that they need to exercise more (to lose weight) and to their sons that they need to eat more (to increase their muscles),” said Marita McCabe, the lead researcher on the project.

Are we ever going to get this right?

One reader states:

Having had my then 7 year old come home from school last year saying repeatedly that she wanted to be ‘skinny’ (when she already is), I can relate to this. We turned it around by talking to her about how dangerous being too skinny can be – she had no idea that it could be bad for you but somehow knew that being fat was ‘really bad’ and that ‘exercise makes you skinny’. Advocates of the campaign against child obesity need to be very careful in targeting the PARENTS of obese children rather than issue blanket policies and directives across all children including those in the healthy weight range. Eating disorder admissions in the past six years – since the onset of this campaign have doubled and the average age of onset for eating disorders has come down from 16 to about 12. Anyone else seeing the writing on the wall?

–ab of melbourne

What are your thoughts on the topic?