Does your personality influence your ability to lose weight?
17 Aug 2010

Does your personality influence your ability to lose weight?

2 mins to read
How you think, feel and act all reflect parts of your personality. Online personal trainer Andrew Cate looks at how aspects of your personality could be impacting upon your weight and your health.


Weight and personality

You are unique! There is nobody else like you. Yet we all have a number of personality traits and qualities with varying degrees of commonality. Learning more about your personality is one way to develop a better understanding of what motivates you or makes you behave a certain way. Studying different personality types is often used in business when looking at how to manage or motivate others. But it can also help develop a better understanding of the strengths and weakness of your personality to determine the best approach you can take to lose weight.

Did you know?

While everyone is different, there are some common personality traits which may influence your level of motivation and have an impact on your body shape.

The research

There is a growing body of research designed to help develop a better understanding of how people go about changing their health behavior and the challenges they face.

One Australian study conducted in 2007 found that respondents with highest body mass index (BMI - a measure of fatness) showed the strongest association with negative mood and self esteem.

Another personality trait that has a potential link with body weight includes the level of hostility that people display. A 2008 American study found that both men and women who had a higher BMI also had higher levels of hostility. They found hostility was related to higher alcohol consumption, less physical activity and a higher kilojoule intake, which can all contribute to excess body fat.

Finally, a 2009 American study found that impulsiveness was associated with a higher BMI, and that subjects who were ranked in the top 10 percent on impulsiveness weighed 4 kilograms more than subjects in the bottom 10 percent.

Tailor-made weight loss

If you can recognise any dominant characteristics in your personality, you may be able to use that information to target points of intervention, and help tailor prevention and treatment strategies.

For example, consider the personality traits mentioned in the studies above, such as a negative mood, hostility or impulsiveness. Following are some different strategies you could adopt to lose weight that take into consideration these different personality traits.

Negative mood – People who are negative or who regularly experience a negative mood may have a certain level of resignation, and may find it hard to make changes. They may benefit from professional assistance such as that offered by personal trainer, dietician or psychologists to help with behaviour change.

Hostility – The general cynicism and mistrust which characterise hostile people may discourage them from taking health advice. They are also more likely to experience interpersonal conflicts. People who have a tendency to be hostile might find it best to avoid team sports during physical activity by focusing on individual pursuits such as walking or running.

Impulsiveness – People who are impulsive tend to have low self-discipline and find it hard to stay on a task in the face of difficulty or boredom. People who are impulsive may benefit from a focus on regular meal scheduling and meal planning to help avoid impulsive snacking and over-eating.

Did you know?

Learning to recognise dominant characteristics in your personality, such as hostility or impulsiveness can help you tailor weight loss prevention and treatment strategies.

Am J Epidemiol. 2009; 169: 347-354.

Psychosom Med. 2009; 71: 682 – 689.



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