Personality could be to blame for poor diet

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A new study has found that our personality (or rather, certain traits within our personality) impact the relationship we have with food and the choices we make when it comes to our nutrition.

The research, published an article in health journal, Appetite, found that extroverted people tend to consume more food than introverted individuals as a result of external factors like smell and taste. Because of this, they’re more susceptible to poor choices, like sugar-laden treats.

People with neurotic tendencies were found to eat more foods which are higher in calories as a possible means to manage their negative feelings.

Those of us who were found to be lacking in conscientiousness were at a much higher risk of making impulse decisions and failing at self-restraint when it comes to food choices. (Post continues after gallery.)

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BreadKATIE THOMSITT, Dieticians Australia spokesperson says: "Lots of people shy away from bread to achieve weight loss. But bread is such an important source of fibre, and plays such a helpful role in weight loss and preventing bowel cancer. A couple of slices of a dark, seedy bread per day is absolutely fine."

CheeseKATIE SAYS: "Cheese is definitely a higher fat source of dairy, but still a good dairy fat. Choose low-fat options if you have it regularly, otherwise consume it in moderation. One serve of dairy is 30g, so a couple of slices is absolutely fine."

ChocolateKARA LANDAU, The Travelling Dietician says: "Studies have been able to show that dark chocolate can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure in healthy individuals, protect against heart disease, and improve HDL good cholesterol (not a bad start for such a tasty food!). Dark chocolate also contains polyphenols, whilst white chocolate does not. These polyphenolic compounds are able to relax blood vessels allowing for better blood circulation, and thereby assisting with the maintenance of healthy blood pressure levels."

CoffeeKATIE SAYS: "Coffee is a really good snack, in particular if its milk-based to get the dairy in - for example, a skim latte. As long as its in moderation - daily guidelines say a maximum of three per day! And you want lots of water on top of that."

EggsKARA SAYS: "Yes, even the yolks are good for you! Healthy fat soluble vitamins, as well as half the protein found in an egg, are all found in the yolk!"

Avocado KATIE SAYS: "Avocado is a healthy fat. Lots of people think its high-fat and not good for you, but its rich in mono unsaturated fats, which give you protection against heart disease. It also helps with controlling lower cholesterol levels."

nutsKATIE SAYS: "Nuts fall into the same category as avocado - they have lots of healthy oils and fibre."

dairyKARA SAYS: "Often milk and yoghurts are fortified with Vitamin D (a fat soluble vitamin) which requires a small amount of fat to be present in order for the body to absorb it, therefore having the full fat variety can be of value to enhance the nutritional benefits from the products' consumption. The fat in the dairy also aids with satiety, which could prevent unhealthy snacking at a later point in the day."

PotatoKATIE SAYS: "Potato always gets a bad rap as a starchy vegetable, but it's an excellent source of fibre. Sweet potato in particular is great for weight management and sugar level control. Potatoes are also really rich in potassium."

Red meatKARA SAYS: People tend to restrict red meat unnecessarily, thinking that its high in saturated fat. "But lean red meat is high in protein, CLA (which has been found to be associated with lower body fat percentages), B12, iron and zinc. These are all nutrients we want to get into our body!"

Carmen Keller, one of the researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology who carried out the study, told NY magazine: “We found that a person’s personality does, in fact, determine why he or she eats and what he or she eats.”

For the study, 1000 participants were asked questions related to personality, eating habits and food choices. Their answers were then used in conjunction with the five basic dimensions of personality; openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism, to determine whether a person’s deep-seeded traits are in some way linked with their food habits.

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