Second Life Gym

Psychologists use the term "counter-intuitive" to describe an unexpected experimental result that contradicts common sense. This one is a lulu. A recent experiment by researchers at Indiana University found that overweight people exercising in a virtual gymnasium on the computer game Second Life lost weight just as well as a group doing physical exercise! Moreover, those subjects using Second Life appeared to make more changes towards healthy eating and physical activity than the group doing real-life exercise (title link). It makes me wonder whether virtual gynecological examinations and virtual childbirth on Second Life might help would-be mums who have problems conceiving.