In Brief
- Numerous biological factors play a role in weight loss, but in recent years psychologists have begun looking at personality traits as critical variables in the dieting equation.
- Characteristics often considered detrimental for mental well-being may actually improve a person’s chances of losing weight—and some otherwise positive traits can make dieting an uphill battle.
- To rein in impulsiveness, try becoming more self-aware as you go about your day. Meditate, write in a journal, or simply reflect on what is most important and satisfying to you.
Losing weight has never been an easy endeavor, as anyone who has ever tried knows. Among the challenges: changing ingrained habits that led to the weight gain. Everyone attributes his or her success to different strategies and programs, be it Weight Watchers, gastric bypass surgery or sheer willpower, but all tend to agree that eating less and moving more are at the heart of any successful effort.
But what makes one person able to put that simple formula into action, whereas another fails in the attempt? Only about one fifth of people who lose at least 10 percent of their weight keep it off for at least a year, according to a 2005 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Of course, numerous biological factors play a role in weight loss, including the size of your body, its muscle and fat content, and your metabolic rate. In recent years psychologists have begun looking at personality traits as critical variables in the dieting equation.
This article was originally published with the title A Losing Personality.
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Add CommentAmazing! Ten years ago my wife noticed that when I am stressed I lose weight and when I'm not stressed I gain weight. All of that fidgetting pays off. The real challenge is having a positive, happy outlook while still worrying a bunch so you can live longer and still be thin.
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