Does personality affect dietary intake?

Since it has been proposed that personality may be linked to dietary choices, this 2014 review evaluated the evidence for an association between the Big Five dimensions of personality with dietary consumption, and compliance to dietary recommendations. Lunn et al. (2014) inspected findings from cross-sectional surveys conducted in various countries and cultures and noted a positive association between openness and consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as a correlation between conscientiousness and healthy eating. Although no evidence was found that associated personality dimensions with adherence to dietary recommendations over time, conscientiousness was discovered to be connected to prosocial and health-promoting behaviors such as avoiding alcohol-related harm, binge-drinking, smoking, and adherence to medication regimens. Poor dieting is a known risk factor for becoming overweight/obese, and associated chronic lifestyle diseases. After revealing that higher conscientiousness was associated with behaviors beneficial to health, this review hypotheses that this personality trait may predict adoption of healthy dietary and other lifestyle recommendations. [NPID: personality, Big Five, openness, conscientiousness, binge drinking, smoking, obesity, chronic disease]

Year: 2014

Reference: Lunn, T. E., Nowson, C. A., Worsley, A., & Torres, S. J. (2014). Does personality affect dietary intake?. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 30(4), 403–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2013.08.012

Related Studies

Food and nutrient intakes by temperament traits: findings in the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study

Previous studies have connected the temperament trait with risk factors for chronic disease, but this 2018 study by Perälä and her team aim to examine the cross-sectional associations between temperament and diet. Firstly, information on the 1668 adults (aged 56-70, male and female) who took part in the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study were taken. Dietary […]

Personality and eating habits revisited: Associations between the big five, food choices, and Body Mass Index in a representative Australian sample

In this 2020 study, adults in Australia were surveyed to test whether eating habits are related to personality or weight status (measured by the body mass index). The 13,892 participants were examined on their five main personality traits (agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness). Their diets were also analyzed to identify three eating habits. Eating […]