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Is Your Personality Making You Fat?

Sweet_Potato
Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Article from the Wall Street Journal-- I'm curious to see what others think about it:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204124204577150702592157004.html

Replies

  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    Anyone? My girlfriend has been steadily gaining weight and she has all 4 qualities.
  • kneeki
    kneeki Posts: 347 Member
    Eating too much while moving too little makes you fat.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    Eating too much while moving too little makes you fat.

    Obviously. I think what this article is saying is that some people who experience neuroticism/depression/stress and so on are more likely to eat too much. I can get on board with that - psychological factors were major part of why I became very obese (was depressed, ate too much). I often eat when I am stressed, and sometimes when I am just bored and anxious. I am glad we are actually looking at these real reasons people overeat, rather than just going "you're fat, just eat less" - some people are going to struggle more to overcome overeating.
  • SAC0O3
    SAC0O3 Posts: 95
    I feel like I fit into all those catagories :x
    I agree with the article. Thanks for sharing, I saved it to my faves so I can check out the fixes.
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
    Eating too much while moving too little makes you fat.

    Take out the movement. Eating more than you burn. Its not your "Personality", rather it is the choices that you make on what you ingest. I speak from experience on this.
  • OSUalum
    OSUalum Posts: 449 Member
    Interesting. I thought the article made some good points. We all know broccoli is better than a Big Mac for us.... but learning our triggers and behaviors is what will keep lasting results. Thats the difference between a life style change and a diet.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    Article from the Wall Street Journal-- I'm curious to see what others think about it:

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204124204577150702592157004.html
    Just more sniveling from the blame-anybody-but-me crowd.

    It's our personality caused by bad parenting or Mommy and Daddy loving our siblings more or not giving us enough attention - :sad:

    We have become such a nation of wussies that it's no wonder we have such little self-empowerment.
    Nobody wants to just take ownership of their lives.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    I think it's January and a health reporter needed a diet story.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Obviously, who we are is going to play a part in how fat we are. How could it not? It's not an excuse; it's just simple logic.
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    I'm prone to addiction and compulsion. I was a smoker and I overate like the wind!

    It's not an excuse and I should never treat it like one. I just have to be aware that I can get addicted to things very easily so I need to pay extra attention if I want to be healthy.

    These sort of 'findings' must be taken the right way. DO NOT throw your hands up and cry about how it's impossible for YOU to lose weight because of your personality. Knowing about your predispositions puts you at an advantage.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    Eating too much while moving too little makes you fat.
    That's a very radical suggestion!

    It implied that it might just be.....MY FAULT?

    Look, if you don't have anything nice to say, please don't attack me so unfairly....:sad:
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    Eating too much while moving too little makes you fat.
    That's a very radical suggestion!

    It implied that it might just be.....MY FAULT?

    Look, if you don't have anything nice to say, please don't attack me so unfairly....:sad:

    This article isn't suggesting that you can 'blame' your personality for your weight issues. It is merely making a correlation between people with high levels of anxiety and neuroticism and overeating/eating disorders. Binge eating disorder is actually a real eating disorder and people who overeat should be treated the same as people who don't eat enough. Going 'EAT MORE SKINNY! STUFF THAT FACE!' to an anorexic would be deemed unacceptable, so why is it okay to say "EAT LESS FATTY, MOVE MORE!"?

    I am more than happy to take responsibility for gaining weight, and I work my god damn *kitten* off to lose it and am completely aware of the whole theory of calories in vs calories out and don't believe in making excuses for myself. But I also do not believe in dismissing other peoples issues and saying 'suck it up' is helpful either. Obesity is a complex issue and people should be treated on a case by case basis. Hopefully this kind of research will lead to more people with issues seeking counselling and undergoing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to overcome their issues with food.

    By the way, my Dad did give me plenty of attention - he was also an alcohol who tried to strangle me to death because he believed I ate his last mango. I was depressed to the point where I didn't care if I lived or died, and yes I was obese because I ate too much, but I ate too much because I was miserable. I am glad I overcame it, but I got pretty tough, it's not easy for everybody.
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