How Personality Can Influence Your Weight

What's your personality? Are you self-disciplined and orderly, or are you more on the indulgent and impulsive side? Recent research from the National Institute of Health suggests that these personality traits could very well help determine your weight.

A whopping 68 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. According to researchers who studied more than 1,000 individuals across 50 years, personality traits may be, in part, what's keeping them from maintaining a healthy weight.

According to research, the primary contributors to obesity -- unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles -- can lead to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis, psychological consequences (e.g., lower self esteem) and a significant shortening of life. Since body weight can be representative of lifestyle, researchers have hypothesized that personality traits may influence one's ability to maintain a healthy weight. It turns out they may be right.

Key findings published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggest that individuals with impulsive personality traits tend to be more overweight and obese; those with higher levels of conscientiousness tend to be leaner and of normal weight. [1] And weight does not appear to influence personality. Considering that a certain level of self-discipline is critical to sticking with a healthy diet and exercise plan, and that impulsive people tend to overindulge and succumb to temptations of both food and alcohol, these finding makes sense.

While basic personality traits tend to be static and resistant to change, expression of these traits is adaptable. This means that certain interventions can help modify characteristic adaptations that influence weight. For example, individuals with high impulsivity and low conscientiousness may benefit from learning to plan menus and schedule regular meals, and respond to the thoughts they have that get in the way of their sticking to a healthy weight loss program.

A program incorporating these skills and others is described at www.beckdietsolution.com.

References:

[1] Sutin, A.R., Ferrucci, L., Zonderman, A.B., & Terraccino, A. (2011). Personality and obesity across the adult life span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 579-592.

 

 

 

Follow Judith S. Beck, Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/beckinstitute

Comments

[smart8001]

06:52 PM on 12/27/2011

too much love handle squeezity
will surely lead to obesity

[seanymph007]

01:33 PM on 12/27/2011

Sedenatry lifestyles and processed foods play the primary roles in our SUDDEN obesity epidemic.
Personality and family conditioning play a part in ones learned lifestyle; but the actual culprits are susceptability/genetics, lack of exercise, excess caloric intake, sluugish metabolism, conditioning, injuries, and our 'culture of convenience':
-driving/riding everywhere instead of walking
-sitting too many hours every day (driving, deskwork, computer, TV, etc.)
-mechanization that reduces/eliminates physical output (from blenders to elevators to lawnmowers)
-binge eating/drinking, and/or regular excess-consumption of alcohol and snacks
-consuming highly processed foods: high in corn syrup, fillers, fats, sugars, salt, calories, carbs
-lack of pure water, vegetables, nutrients, enzymes, fiber
-injuries, disease, addictions resulting in reduced mobility, deconditioning (arthritis, smoking, etc)
-metabolic dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, aging issues
-estrogenic toxins
-genetics/susceptability to obesity... Read what science now says about the "Fat Gene":

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/05/british-scientists-find-fat-gene/37758/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101010133620.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/08fat.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26611180/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/fighting-fat-gene-takes---hours-day/

[seanymph007]

02:20 PM on 12/27/2011

My point is that "obesity" has many causes and contributing factors, (many of which are interrelated); but anyone who tries to point to point one cause then attribute it to every individual is being very simple minded (to say the least). Regarding this article, just remember that "A" key finding, is not the same as "THE" cause.

Just think about all the doctors, nurses, scientists, computer programmers, retired athletes and veterans who appear obese; is it likely that they are just undisciplined, impulsive personalities who lack conscientiousness?

[Ossit]

12:45 PM on 12/27/2011

I'm 4'9" and 118-120 to anyone who wants to call me names, defending the overweight. I can walk further than anyone since I have no car, and I can run up and down the stairs at least five times and not get winded despite being a smoker, I have no heart disease, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and as long as it's dead and edible, I'll eat it.

[Jerachrome]

12:13 PM on 12/27/2011

So, does it logically follow that 68 percent of the US population is impulsive rather than conscientious? If true, that would explain other problems plaguing the country and its economy. Do 68 percent of the voters elect candidates that are also impulsive is not conscientious?

[Ossit]

11:24 AM on 12/27/2011

What BS! This perpetuates the stereotype of overweight people. It must be in the genes, now it's their personalities. They're portrayed as having no will power, they're lazy, their slobs, they're.... But some skinny people DO have personality flaws when it comes to how they treat overweight people. They're insulting, they're rude, they stare, and they like to hurt people, they have no consideration, they're obsessed with food, they have eating disorders, they have empty minds that need to be filled with diet 'expert' after diet 'expert' telling them what to eat, when to eat, how to eat, if you can eat. Those kinds of people weigh every morsel, count every stupid calorie. Their form of 'fun' is working out till they drop.

I say eat and be merry! In these trying financial times, you never know when/if you'll have a next meal.

[carolecray]

09:45 AM on 12/27/2011

I am afraid that I am getting a tad tired of being blamed for being obese and being called names, stared at and in certain instances accosted when eating. I have been diagnosed with almost every mental illness, with the exception of schizophrenia. Then when they couldn't figure me out, I am labeled with that wonderful catch all Borderline Personality Disorder. Maybe I should stop reading these articles, articles that say one thing one day and another the next.

[Ossit]

11:26 AM on 12/27/2011

carolecry, I have a diagnosis for ya. There's nothing wrong with you. Everyone else is nuts. Let's do lunch.

[Mustangallee]

03:05 PM on 12/27/2011

Ossot..fanned and faved!

[carolecray]

04:51 PM on 12/27/2011

Lol, you made me laugh. Thank you, I can always use a good laugh and I agree with you.

[wcaacw]

09:39 AM on 12/27/2011

The only thing affecting my weight is gravity!

[scorpian777]

02:40 PM on 12/27/2011

lol

[Diana Bitritto]

09:08 AM on 12/27/2011

I think one of the things that have led to obesity is that over the years we've been given so much conflicting information on what to eat and what not to eat in order to lose weight that alot of us have just given up and decided we're just gonna eat what we like anyway.

[Vicki Trusselli]

08:46 AM on 12/27/2011

i have gained a lot of weight after i moved from los angeles to austin, texas. i have always been slim and healthy. i do not eat a lot but i do not exercise like i used to. when i joined the gym my relatives here thought i was crazy and why would someone my age go to the gym and why could i not just touch my toes at home. i no longer see my relatives here and if you think it is my fault i am fat. i hate it and now can not afford to go to a gym on social security....look jerks and my relatives here too corn syrup is put in everything and etc and people need to have swimming and exercise and the gym not for an arm and a leg and quit putting everything so out of reach financially and educate stupid people like my relatives that exercise and swimming are healthy...even in your 60s, if i had the money i would move back to los angeles.

[dancinggrandma]

04:00 PM on 12/24/2011

As a therapist, I see one's childhood history as predominantly suspect for adult weight issues. The obvious culprits include family of origin-induced low self worth, absence of nurturing, and a multitude of other types of early wounding, BUT, modeling food behavior early in life is almost as determinative in later weight issues. An example is a mother who's borderline anorexic tends to only feed her child when SHE'S hungry. Withholding of food or overuse of it to substitute for genuine parental love are other examples of "food behavior modeling" which we tend to carry over in adult lives. The same is true of money-modeling behavior, too. What we were exposed to growing up tends to be what we recreate as adults - in many cases, adults will intentionally do the opposite of what their parents did - this simply keeps the dynamic alive, however. Being just like or the opposite of is a trap.

[meechy7]

10:18 AM on 12/26/2011

MFT?

[dancinggrandma]

12:02 PM on 12/26/2011

I'm not sure what you're asking - "MFT" (marriage & family therapist) or "MFT" meaning something else? If it's the first one, I'm a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
with a second masters in Public Health (specialty: child abuse & neglect).

[bump00000]

07:22 AM on 12/27/2011

What you're saying makes a lot of sense. And a lot of times the parents pass those same traits on to the kids. A lazy child becomes a lazy adult.

Although sometimes, a parent, good or bad, passes on nothing. I believe traits are just part of some peoples personality. The thin child in the fat family. The conservative among the liberals.

Income has a lot to do with teaching proper nutrition, money management, etc., And the education level of the parents.

There is a lot of factors. It's good to see people that dedicate their lives to helping people. So rare in this day and age. Thank you.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[kasel1]

02:17 PM on 12/27/2011

There is a difference between helping people and pushing your half-baked ideas on the more gullible portion of the population. There are no facts or data anywhere in this article that come close to meeting the minimum standard of the scientific method. You have a right to ignorant, just keep it to yourself.

[Cammi Vaughan]

09:19 PM on 12/22/2011

I think you just need to be in touch with your hunger. It's natural to eat when you're hungry and not want to eat when you're not, whatever your personality type.

[Amy Greenblatt]

09:20 AM on 12/22/2011

My personality is probably orderly and disciplined, but I'm still overweight. That doesn't mean this idea isn't true, however. I really believe if I didn't track what I eat, weigh myself regularly and choose foods based on nutrition, calories and health rather than taste, I'd be much more overweight.

[ScienceGuyOrg]

05:17 PM on 12/21/2011

I have seen people give up smoking that had a personality that I thought would make it impossible to do so but they just can not seem to take any weight off. No doubt a response to that by many people would be that the smoking was making them less heavy than if they did not smoke.

Maybe it is easier to justify eating just a little bit more than to smoke. From what I read, just eating a small amount over time really packs on the pounds.

[Ossit]

11:31 AM on 12/27/2011

So you lump all ex smokers and smokers alike? We can be fat or skinny whether we smoke or not.

[Valerie Keefe]

04:21 PM on 12/21/2011

You know what else is related to Body-Mass-Index? Income. Odd that I never see the professional class mention that one.

[sunnylo1]

06:21 PM on 12/21/2011

Well, there's probably a direct correlation between the behaviors mentioned above and income. Creating something of value requires discipline.

[Valerie Keefe]

06:38 PM on 12/21/2011

"I create nothing. I own"

-Gordon Gecko

No, despite what you may wish to believe, we do not live in a direct meritocracy. None of us would be nearly as rich had we been born in Zambia.

[Vicki Trusselli]

08:53 AM on 12/27/2011

income does have the a the be the c and all of the above. lifestyle and culture are prevalent. i always used to be thin and ate healthy and looked great for my age. i have been reading labels and more and more corn syrup is being added to foods. most people do not read labels. then again the sedentary lifestyle that comes with call center jobs and certain jobs that promote sitting in one spot for hours and the attitudes of different areas of the country and income levels and education levels. baa humbug not to look at all the factors and blame the peeps on everything. i have been middle class and now i am lower income and look ba humbug.....i am the 99%

[Marty678]

04:20 PM on 12/21/2011

There are so many people who suffer from being overweight. The New Year can be a good start for everyone who wants to change their lifestyle. If you want to start losing weight, I can recommend you healthy weight loss programs that really works from TIPSTODIET.COM. Good luck to all !

[Ossit]

11:32 AM on 12/27/2011

Change their lifestyle for who? People who should mind their own business or themselves? They don't have to change anything to suit others' foolish expectations.