If you’ve tried to give up smoking but don’t have the willpower or are too embarrassed to seek help, Dutch researchers may have the answer.
They are developing a virtual coach to provide smokers with round-the-clock reinforcement to help them kick the habit.
“Shrouded in the anonymity provided by the Internet, smokers can log on to a Website and type questions and confessions into a chat box,” New Scientist magazine said recently.
The virtual coach will give advice and encouragement at all hours.
The concept has already been used successfully in the United States to encourage elderly people to exercise more, according to the magazine. If the virtual coach proves a success, the researchers may extend it to help alcoholics and people trying to overcome phobias.
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