Qom University of Medical Sciences Journal

Background and Objectives: Losing 5-10% of initial body weight can reduce the risks of obesity in obese people. Identification of the personality of individuals is effective in motivating and designing weight management interventions. The present study was done to compare the personality traits of successful and unsuccessful women in terms of weight loss.

Methods: This case-control study was done on obese and overweight women in 2013. The case group consisted of 45 women who were successful in losing weight, and the control group consisted of 45 women who were unsuccessful in losing weight. Losing at least 5% of initial body weight during 3-month treatment regimen was considered as an indicator of success. Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI125) questionnaire was completed by the participants, and the scores of temperament and character dimensions in successful and unsuccessful subjects were analyzed by t-test. The significance level was considered to be p<0.05.

Results: In this study, the mean score of reward dependence in successful group and unsuccessful group was 9.84±2.6 and 8.62±3.05, respectively, (p=0.044). The successful individuals had higher mean persistence score (3.42±1.30 vs. 2.56±1.30), (p=0.002). Cooperation score was 20.22±3.00 in the successful group and 18.38±3.71 in the unsuccessful group (p=0.011). Other personality traits, including novelty seeking, harm avoidance, self-directedness, and self-transcendence had no significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, some personality traits, such as reward dependence, persistence, and cooperation could be effective in the individuals’ success in weight loss.