Virtual Reality

Texas High School Tests Out Health VR Game

• By Sri Ravipati
• 04/27/17

A Houston, TX high school this week used a virtual reality (VR) game that attempts to teach students to eat healthy.

Sharpstown High School students were introduced to Atkins Nutrition’s VR game, Sugar Goggles, which takes players through the human body, CNBC reported. Players virtually fly through human veins and gold rings, answering questions that test food knowledge. A player might be asked, for example, to decide whether an apple or a whole wheat bagel has a lower impact on blood sugar.

Atkins teamed up with HealthCorps, a nonprofit that gives teens tools to improve physical and mental health, to bring the game to Sharpstown and other schools across the country.

In the United States, 38 percent of adults are obese and youth make up 17 percent of that statistic, according to a 2016 study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The VR game was made to educate students early on how to make healthy choices when it comes to food in a fun, engaging way.  

Sugar Goggles debuted at CES 2017 earlier this year. It’s a fairly short game and is more for educational purposes, according to its website, rather than for actual gameplay. (The Verge reported the company recognizes the game’s graphics need work).