PEOPLE with personality traits of high neuroticism and low conscientiousness are likely to go through cycles of gaining and losing weight throughout their lives, according to an examination of 50 years of data in a study published by the American Psychological Association.
Impulsivity was the strongest predictor of who would be overweight, researchers found.
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Although weight tends to increase gradually as people age, the researchers, led by Angelina R Sutin, PhD, found greater weight gain among impulsive people; those who enjoy taking risks; and those who are antagonistic - especially those who are cynical, competitive and aggressive. 'Previous research has found that impulsive individuals are prone to binge eating and alcohol consumption,' Dr Sutin said. 'These behavioral patterns may contribute to weight gain over time.'
Among their other findings: Conscientious participants tended to be leaner and weight did not contribute to changes in personality across adulthood.
source: Personality affects body weight: Study
Impulsivity was the strongest predictor of who would be overweight, researchers found.
..
Although weight tends to increase gradually as people age, the researchers, led by Angelina R Sutin, PhD, found greater weight gain among impulsive people; those who enjoy taking risks; and those who are antagonistic - especially those who are cynical, competitive and aggressive. 'Previous research has found that impulsive individuals are prone to binge eating and alcohol consumption,' Dr Sutin said. 'These behavioral patterns may contribute to weight gain over time.'
Among their other findings: Conscientious participants tended to be leaner and weight did not contribute to changes in personality across adulthood.
source: Personality affects body weight: Study