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.
Study participants who scored in the top 10 percent on impulsivity weighed an average of 22 lbs, more than those in the bottom 10 percent, according to the study.
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John Hardy, faced the biggest challenge at Hilton Head Health (H3), a Hilton Head, South Carolina, fitness and weight-loss retreat. (MCT) |
The researchers, from the National Institute on Aging, looked at data from a longitudinal study of 1,988 people to determine how personality traits are associated with weight and body mass index. Their conclusions were published online in the APA’s Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Participants were drawn from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, an ongoing multidisciplinary study of normal aging administered by the National Institute on Aging. Subjects were generally healthy and highly educated, with an average of 16.53 years of education. All were assessed on what’s known as the “Big Five” personality traits -- openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism -- as well as on 30 subcategories of these personality traits. Subjects were weighed and measured over time.
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,” 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.
“The pathway from personality traits to weight gain is complex and probably includes physiological mechanisms, in addition to behavioral ones,” Sutin said. “We hope that by more clearly identifying the association between personality and obesity, more tailored treatments will be developed. For example, lifestyle and exercise interventions that are done in a group setting may be more effective for extroverts than for introverts.”
(From news reports)
<한글 기사>
충동적 성격자, 체중 늘 가능성 커
체중이 느는 것은 성격과 연관이 있다는 연구결과가 나왔다.
미국 국립노화연구소(National Institute on Aging)의 안젤리나 수틴(Angelina Sutin) 박사는 충동적인 성격이 강한 사람은 약한 사람에 비해 체중이 늘어날 가능성이 큰 것으로 나타났다고 밝힌 것으로 사이언스 데일리가 18일 보도했다.
수틴 박사는 볼티모어 노화추적연구(Baltimore Longitudinal Study) 참가자 1천988명의 50년간 자료를 종합분석한 결과 성격의 충동성 측정에서 상위 10%로 분류된 그룹이 하위 10% 그룹보다 체중이 평균 10kg 많은 것으로 나타났다고 밝혔다.
연구팀은 이들을 이른바 “5대”(Big Five) 성격적 특성인 개방성(openness), 성실성(conscientiousness), 외향성(extraversion), 친화성(agreeableness), 신경성(neuroticism)으로 분류하고 이를 다시 30가지 성격적 특성으로 세분한 다음 장기적인 체중변화를 추적조사한 결과 이 같은 사실이 밝혀졌다고 말했다.
전체적으로 나이를 먹으면서 체중은 대체로 증가하는 경향을 보였지만 모험과 경쟁을 좋아하고 냉소적이고 공격적인 성격의 소유자들이 특히 체중 증가율이 높게 나타났다.
이와 대조적으로 성격적 특성이 성실성에 해당하는 그룹은 정상체중이 유지되는 경향을 보였다.
정상체중을 유지하려면 건강에 도움이 되는 식사습관과 신체적 활동이 필요하고 이러한 생활습관을 지탱하려면 책임감과 절제가 있어야 하는데 충동성이 강한 성격을 지닌 사람에게는 이것이 쉬운 일이 아닐 것이라고 연구팀은 지적했다.
이 연구결과는 미국심리학회 학술지 ‘성격-사회심리학 저널(Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)’ 최신호에 실렸다.
