Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Personality characteristics in obesity and relationship with successful weight loss

International Journal of Obesity volume 31, pages 669–674 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

Personality influences lifestyle behaviors. Therefore, certain personality traits could contribute to obesity and the response to behaviorally based weight loss therapy.

Purpose:

The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that personality characteristics differ between lean and obese persons in the community, obese persons in the community and obese persons seeking weight loss therapy by enrolling in a comprehensive weight loss program, and in obese persons who were successful and unsuccessful in achieving behavioral therapy-induced weight loss.

Methods:

The Temperament and Character Inventory was administered to 264 lean (body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m2) and 56 obese (BMI⩾35 kg/m2) subjects from the St Louis community and 183 obese patients (BMI=44±10 kg/m2) enrolled in the Washington University Weight Management Program (WUWMP), which involved weekly group behavioral therapy and diet education sessions for 22 weeks.

Results:

Compared with lean subjects, obese subjects in the community scored higher in novelty seeking (19.7±5.9 vs 16.2±6.0, P<0.05), lower in Persistence (4.1±1.8 vs 4.8±1.7, P<0.05) and lower in self-directedness (32.1±7.6 vs 34.3±6.6, P<0.05.) Patients enrolled in the WUWMP scored higher than obese persons in the general population in both Reward Dependence (17.1±4.2 vs 15.7±4.3, P<0.05) and cooperativeness (36.9±5.4 vs 34.5±6.2, P<0.05). Patients who were successful in losing weight (>10% weight loss) after 22 weeks of behavioral therapy scored lower in novelty seeking than those who were unsuccessful in losing weight (<5% weight loss) (17.6±5.9 vs 20.2±5.9, P<0.05).

Discussion:

These results suggest that personality traits differ between lean and obese persons, and between obese persons who enroll and who do not enroll in a comprehensive weight management program. Moreover, high scores in novelty seeking are associated with decreased success in achieving behavioral therapy-induced weight loss.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtain LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM . Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999–2004. JAMA 2006; 295: 1549–1555.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Serdula MK, Mokdad AH, Williamson DF, Galuska DA, Mendlein JM, Heath GW . Prevalence of attempting weight loss and strategies for controlling weight. JAMA 1999; 282: 1353–1358.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wadden TA, Frey DL . A multicenter evaluation of a proprietary weight loss program for the treatment of marked obesity: a five year follow-up. Int J Eat Disord 1997; 22: 203–212.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. van den Bree MBM, Przybeck TR, Cloninger CR . Diet and personality: associations in a population-based sample. Appetite 2006; 46: 177–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bjorvell H, Edman G, Rossner S, Schalling D . Personality traits in a group of severely obese patients: a study of patients in two self-chosen weight reducing programs. Int J Obes 1985; 9: 257–266.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bjorvell H, Gunnar E, Daisy S . Personality traits related to eating behavior and weight loss in a group of severely obese patients. Int J Eat Disord 1989; 8: 315–323.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bjorvell H, Gunnar E . Characteristics of drop-outs from a long-term behavioral treatment program for obesity. Int J Eat Disord 1989; 8: 363–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bjorvell H, Aly A, Langius A, Nordstrom A . Indicators of changes in weight and eating behavior in severely obese patients treated in a nursing behavioural program. Int J Obes 1994; 18: 521–525.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Jonsson B, Bjorvell H, Levander S, Rossner S . Personality traits predicting weight loss outcome in obese patients. Acta Psychiat Scand 1986; 74: 384–387.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jonsson B, Bjorvell H, Espmark S, Rossner S . Psychiatric determinants of weight changes in jaw-fixed obese patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1986; 73: 196–202.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Walker SCP II, Ericsson M, Linder J, Nilsson T, Goodrick GK, Foreyt JP . Personality and the prediction of weight loss and relapse in the treatment of obesity. Int J Eat Disord 1999; 25: 301–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Schalling D, Edman G . The Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) Manual: An Inventory for Assessing Temperament Dimensions Associated with Vulnerability for Psychosocial Deviance. Department of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute: Stockholm, Sweden, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Schalling D, Edman G, Asberg M . Impulsive cognitive style and inability to tolerate boredom: psychological studies of temperamental vulnerability. In: Zuckerman M (ed). Biological Bases of Sensation Seeking, Impulsivity, and Anxiety. Erlbaum: Hillsdale, NJ, 1983, pp 123–145.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cloninger CR, Svrakic DM, Przybeck TR . A psychobiological model of temperament and character. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993; 50: 975–990.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Svrakic DM, Whitehead C, Przybeck TR, Cloninger R . Differential diagnosis of personality disorders by the seven-factor model of temperament and character. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993; 50: 991–999.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cloninger CR, Przybeck TR, Svrakic DM, Wetzel RD . The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI): A Guide to its Development and Use. Center for Psychobiology of Personality, Washington University: St Louis, MO, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Brewerton TD, Hand LD, Bishop Jr ER . The tridimensional personality questionnaire in eating disorder patients. Int J Eat Disord 1993; 14: 213–218.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bulik CM, Sullivan PF, Weltzin TE, Kaye WH . Temperament in eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord 1995; 17: 251–261.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kleifield EI, Sunday S, Hurt S, Halmi KA . The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire: an exploration of personality traits in eating disorders. J Psychiatr Res 1994; 28: 413–423.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Waller DA, Gullion CM, Petty F, Hardy BW, Murdock MV, Rush AJ . Tridimensional personality questionnaire and serotonin in bulimia nervosa. Psychiatry Res 1993; 48: 9–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Fassino S, Daga GA, Piero A, Leombruni P, Rovera GG . Anger and personality in eating disorders. J Psychosomat Res 2001; 51: 757–764.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Fassino S, Leombruni P, Piero A, Daga DA, Amianto F, Rovera G et al. Temperament and character in obese women with and without binge eating disorder. Compr Psychiatry 2002; 43: 431–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Bulik CM, Sullivan PF, Carter FA, McIntosh VV, Joyce PR . Predictors of rapid and sustained response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 1999; 26: 137–144.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Cloninger CR . Biology of personality dimensions. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2000; 13: 611–616.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Cloninger CR, Svrakic DM, Przybeck TR . Measurement of temperament and character in mood disorders: a model of fundamental stated as personality types. J Affect Disord 1998; 51: 21–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Jacobs SB, Wagner MK . Brief report: obese and non-obese individuals: behavioral and personality characteristics. Addict Behav 1984; 9: 223–226.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Shane Cotter and the staff of the Washington University Weight Management Program for their assistance, and the study subjects for their participation.This study was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants MH60879 and DK 56341.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA

    S Sullivan & S Klein

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA

    C R Cloninger & T R Przybeck

Authors
  1. S Sullivan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C R Cloninger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T R Przybeck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S Klein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S Klein.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sullivan, S., Cloninger, C., Przybeck, T. et al. Personality characteristics in obesity and relationship with successful weight loss. Int J Obes 31, 669–674 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803464

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803464

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links