Physical Activity/Dietary Habits/Health Lifestyles Panel (CJ27 Jigsaw is transcribing the audio discussions)

CJ27 Jigsaw: Welcome to those just joining us. This is the Physical Activity/Dietary Habits/Health Lifestyles Panel

Chang Tuxing: http://vital.cs.ohiou.edu/

Introduction of speakers: Sirena Felisimo, Chang Tuxing, Farm Gartenberg, Lynn Renilo
Experts in each of their fields, will be exciting to hear them!
At end of panel, will open questions to audience

Question: to Sierena, what are the perceived and benefits based benefits in SL?

Sirena Felisimo: Social benefits, networking, individual and groups
Experience with virutal demonstrations couldn't hv occured in RL
Evidence based is just beginning to unfold, measuring and documenting procedures and evidence that can help us understand health and human behavior

Chang Tuxing: example in our lab, developed a virtual interactive science lab for medical school (outside health area)]
can see the benefit of SL medium, in interactieve lab that would hv taken days/weeks in RL
in SL can be completed in 10-20 minutes
RL experiements that involved dangerous (high temp) that hard for young students to handle
can see it in SL and see everything they need as if they were in a RL lab without the danger

Question: Chang what program resource or strategies you hv found particularly useful?

Chang Tuxing: started to develop learning apps in SL about 4 years ago
went thru several stages
In beginning, here's problem, how do we solve it? (Soft engineering background)
very soon realized computer scientiests alone couldn't develop learning tools by themselves
need others to provide input
work with artists too and now hv full time Fine Art Masters Degree (sculpture) to work with us in our lab
very necessary to help make our app more appealing
Instruction tech, educ tech people they hv expertiese to design learning tool in such a way that is better suited for learning situation in classroom
Still also realized as soon as we go in depth w/topics, need domain expertise
Different experts like Finance help make content strong
NEed to make sure kids use it, so make sure we have school visits to make sure tech work in classroom
Many schools lack expertise or knowledge to understand SL
So have team goes to school to make sure their students can use their SL learning aides in their classroom
Last piece, evaluation and feedback

Sirena Felisimo: true have to provide bridge to SL, even in college
quite a challenge to explain why SL is appealing and useful, need a team to help with that
also, with changing/improving health behaviors in RL, important to implement the time tested beh change strategies that work in RL, work the same in SL
developing social support around behaviors, keeping records, self monitoring, etc
SL is a good place to practice physlcial activites, sample things virutally before you do in RL
Food experiences demonstrated (educ, how to choose, keep, cook, etc)

Lynn Renilo: agree SL is appealing, studies show when human use avatars to expcise and successful here, humans will exercise more in RL
excersize (SP?!)
Have humans model avatar behavior - really works

Question: Farm - findings about your SL experiences?

Farm Gartenberg: Started up programs about 1 year ago - farmers markets
Success in SL - in SL met a reasearcher that came to Farmer's Markets who has taken part in various projects
great thing about SL collaboration with others in research projects
trying to increase fresh fruit and veggies to low income family, need to get research available to this community
educ through SL possible
Would be nice to have special research around farmer's markets, can use SL to incorporate healthful living message in that market
No nutritional info in RL farmer's markets
Hope to incorporate real life streaming "Health forum weekly" in SL to get local support groups (like cancer) can do work shops to spread info
RL people interacting in a role-playing basis in SL
Just so far, testing the streaming, looking forward to future events
In our first market, we streamed musicians - great to use different backgroungs
getting passed barriers of RL that aren't there in SL
Virtual ability segment my target group

Sirena Felisimo: we hv experienced moving past barriers of RL, like reaching out to global audience
Good with probelm like obesity, that is a international public health problem today
SL is great way to network internationally to look at international health concerns impacting all of us

Question: Lynn Renilo: Please discuss future trends related to lifestyles
Lynn Renilo: Question Pls discuss future trends related to lifestyles
New to SL, but already think SL has great potential
My own teenagers very excited about this and thought would appeal to other teens
Trying to reach teens to learn about health issues and good health habits, not just for diabeties, but for all types
looking to reach adult world too

Farm Gartenberg: childhood diabeties most outrageous "plagues" we have
mainly lifestyle and habit related
Farm is a grassroots organizer and always looking how to bring change on this level
We need to force change in our communities about childhood diabities - within 3 years if we all looked/worked against it
Research that is being developed in SL is a good basis for what we can use in RL
not just for kids but adults
How to donate health history of individuals into research?
Would be great if there was a research that gen public could participate in, folks work together to bring about change

Soozie Sorbet: at penn state site

Sirena Felisimo: type the URL?

Farm Gartenberg: http://www.authentichappiness.org

CJ27 Jigsaw: Thanks Farm!

Sierena: taking what we know in RL and applying it in SL and then vice versa is really important
Applying childhood diabetes - happening in younger ages now than ever before
complex
we as adults using SL need to address this issue in our own lives, to be models to children
shape way children are raised, what to eat, nutrious, etc.
humans are hardwired to gain waight and we need to overcome this
Open up questions from audience??

Question: If we tell children now what to avoid and stay healthy, what to tell them?
Right from beginning, cook and eat healthy, not drink sugared drinks
excersize!!!
make them while kids, easier to be come habits rather than in later life when harder to become habits

Farm Gartenberg: watch less tv. Ads bad, never see one about carrots!
Increase nutrtion education ($10 mil ad dollars for Altoits), while nutrtion educ less!
Sirena: Not "bad" or "good" behavior - eat a variety of food and activities
balance for all, focus on broader spectrum of opportunities
Tom Robinson of Stanford, known for TV turnoff week.
Families turn off tv for week - found kids ask for lots less (snacks, sugar, toys) by weeks end
that factor not known

Penguin Kuhn: To play devil's advocate, if we want people to exercise, why would Second Life be a good activity, if it is sedentary?

Jeska Linden: i <3 my wii fit

Question: is there any kind of trend toward increasing physical activity during game playing like SL, or other video games?

Penguin Kuhn: ah, yes, i think you are touching on it now!

CJ27 Jigsaw: like Wiii?

Chang Tuxing: not game like that, know few companies who r discussing ideas like that
Instead of getting Lindon dollars, get pedometer steps, for ex.
iPhone can be used as pedometer
take game and make these numbers and make them competitive, kids might become more interested
kids can see via iphone (or SL) who "wins" more at end of day

Farm Gartenberg: cool

Chang Tuxing: Question for others, and audience: has anyone looked beyond SL at other platforms?
Are there other tech situations that would make more sense than SL for ex?
Looking at other platforms as well?

Lillie Yifu: Graphics: Blue Mars
Lillie Yifu: Progamability: Croquet

Farm Gartenberg: SL is very cutting edge so exciting to be part of it
Virtual world in future prob will be integrated into other web browsers, etc

Chang Tuxing: Yes, OpenCroquet was created by programmers for programmers.

Lillie Yifu: It is much more flexible than sl.

Chang Tuxing: we are also looking at other technologies to see what can be used
domain experts describe what they want and we work to create it. Interactive museum, lab
use SL and other platforms as well

Lillie Yifu: Have you looked at open sim? Which is similar to SL, but open source?

Chang Tuxing: yes hv used OpenSim, helpful when you want full control, but once u go to Open Sim, u loose community of SL
no TP to your island, for ex. But is a viable alternative to SL

Lillie Yifu: "Interoperaboility" Talk to Zero Linden and Zha Ewry.

Farm Gartenberg: SL by itself is a great exercise program who are bed ridden
In SL, they can go dancing, hold hands, sking, etc
and psychological impact is really great!

Sirena Felisimo: psychological benefit to social elements of SL incredibly powerful
Isolated folks, (bad weather, disabled, etc), wonderful way to network, socialise, see what works for others, dancing, and having u dancing in SL as well as RL

Farm Gartenberg: yes

cowgrl Crystal: For me, it's a good way to interact with others and it doesn't incur travel expenses for me or for them. I plan to do Support Group Meetings in SL

Farm Gartenberg: yes and sl is free once you have a computer and internet connection

Sirena Felisimo: will there be a transcript of this somewhere?

Soozie Sorbet: are there additional questions from the audience?

cowgrl Crystal: You were speaking of donating your medical history, I would like to encourage people to donate their brains, to research

CJ27 Jigsaw: Thank you to all panelists!!

Chang Tuxing: tk u, well organized SL event and tks to audience as well

Chang Tuxing: bye all

Serene Jewell: Thank you panelists. Great information.

Penguin Kuhn: pictures on flickr under npsl and npslexpo

Sirena Felisimo: Thanks to Sameer Siddiqi, who did the bulk of the heavy lifiting for this panel

Lynn Renilo: tks for having us

Penguin Kuhn: thank you

Jeska Linden: well done :)

CJ27 Jigsaw: APPLAUSE!! :)

Penguin Kuhn: big thanks to sameer at the texas obesity center who did a lot of the organizing

Serene Jewell: /claps

Penguin Kuhn: this was a great session, everyone. Really enjoyed

Farm Gartenberg: Web site for our project is http://www.cChaos.org - Love to make connections.

Eliza Macpherson: applause!

Penguin Kuhn: definitely

Penguin Kuhn: http://www.nonprofitcommons.org

Soozie Sorbet: thanks all panelists, Sameer and the organizations