Weight Loss Game Looking for 'Neat-O' Results From: University of Houston News - 09/12/2007 By: Ann Holdsworth University of Houston computer science professor Ioannis Pavlidis and research assistants Yuichi Fujiki and Kostas Kazakos have developed a computer game targeted at overweight people that uses motion sensitivity to encourage mild exercise. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT-o) games, including races and logic puzzles, can be played on any handheld personal digital assistant while the user wears a sensor that detects movement such as running, walking, bending over, and even foot tapping. The movement data is wirelessly sent to the PDA, where the player can see the game avatar move in real time. The game can run on the PDA all day to track the user's movements as he or she walks around the office or home, and can be connected to other handheld devices to compete against other PDA users. Mayo Clinic physician and leading authority on obesity James Levine says a lack of daily mild exercise is largely responsible for the world's obesity epidemic. Levine created the term "NEAT" to cover any physical activity that is not conscious exercise. Pavlidis hopes the NEAT-o games will increase physical activity, add a little bit of fun, and build the NEAT mindset into modern lifestyles. "The allure of computer gaming and competition with other users encourages players to make small lifestyle changes that can add up to big health benefits," Pavlidis says. Read the entire article at: http://www.uh.edu/admin/media/nr/2007/09sept/091207neato_weightloss.html Links: Yuichi Fujiki http://www.cpl.uh.edu/html/localuser/yfujiki/homepage/home.html Kostas Kazakos http://www.cpl.uh.edu/html/localuser/kkazakos/html/ Levine Lab (NEAT) http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/levine_lab/ James A. Levine, MD http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/Staff/levine_ja.cfm Office of the Future http://www.mayoclinic.org/spotlight/levine-office-of-future.html Ioannis Pavlidis http://www.cpl.uh.edu/html/modules.php?name=zlTeam&func=detail&tid=11