This is interesting research, but the article itself seems rather
confused about cause and effect.

It isn't clear to me quite how it helps a clinician, faced with an
obese patient, to be aware that he's not neurotic and is extroverted
is going to help him much. Is the supposed to suggest that the person
stays at home and worries? Or is he  going to tell him that, once he's
lost weight, he can look forward to losing his sense of fun? Neither
seem to be ideal prospects for change...

"
Fat people are extroverts, research shows
By Graham Tibbetts


The popular image of fat people as figures of fun and jollity,
typified for centuries by favourites of fiction such as Falstaff and
Billy Bunter, is based on fact, according to scientific research.

A study of 30,000 people aged between 40 and 64 has found that
extroverts tend to be overweight, while worriers are more likely to be
thin.

Subjects were asked about their height and weight, enabling scientists
to calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI), then given a personality
test.

After adjustments were made for other factors such as smoking and
drinking, researchers found that outgoing people were far more likely
than other people to have a BMI above 25 - widely used as a definition
of being overweight.

Men in the most extrovert category were 1.73 times more likely to be
obese than their most introvert counterparts, while extrovert women
were 1.53 times as likely to be obese.

People ranked as having the most anxious personalities were twice as
likely as the least anxious to be underweight, defined as having a BMI
of less than 18.5.

The study, published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research this
month, was conducted in north-eastern Japan but researchers said it
was also relevant to Western people.

They said the findings would help health workers tackle the growing
obesity crisis.

“Obesity and excess body weight is now a worldwide problem...However,
few countries have effectively addressed this issue,” said the
academics, led by Masako Kakizaki of Tohoku University.

“Factors associated with being overweight or obese are diverse, and
our data indicate that personality trait is one of these
factors...Extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism are associated
with being overweight, and neuroticism is associated with being
underweight.”

They added: “Such personality traits should be taken into account when
planning interventions for overweight, obese, or underweight people,
and different intervention programmes need to be designed for each
personality trait in a public health policy or clinical work.

"For example, if a person is found to have a high score for
extroversion or psychoticism, or a low score for neuroticism, then
awareness of the risk of being overweight or obese should be
promoted.”
"

Peter Brooks wrote:
> This is interesting research, but the article itself seems rather
> confused about cause and effect.
>
> It isn't clear to me quite how it helps a clinician, faced with an
> obese patient, to be aware that he's not neurotic and is extroverted
> is going to help him much. Is the supposed to suggest that the person
> stays at home and worries? Or is he  going to tell him that, once he's
> lost weight, he can look forward to losing his sense of fun? Neither
> seem to be ideal prospects for change...
>
> "
> Fat people are extroverts, research shows
> By Graham Tibbetts
>
>
> The popular image of fat people as figures of fun and jollity,
> typified for centuries by favourites of fiction such as Falstaff and
> Billy Bunter, is based on fact, according to scientific research.
>
> A study of 30,000 people aged between 40 and 64 has found that
> extroverts tend to be overweight, while worriers are more likely to be
> thin.
>
> Subjects were asked about their height and weight, enabling scientists
> to calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI), then given a personality
> test.
>
> After adjustments were made for other factors such as smoking and
> drinking, researchers found that outgoing people were far more likely
> than other people to have a BMI above 25 - widely used as a definition
> of being overweight.
>
> Men in the most extrovert category were 1.73 times more likely to be
> obese than their most introvert counterparts, while extrovert women
> were 1.53 times as likely to be obese.
>
> People ranked as having the most anxious personalities were twice as
> likely as the least anxious to be underweight, defined as having a BMI
> of less than 18.5.
>
> The study, published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research this
> month, was conducted in north-eastern Japan but researchers said it
> was also relevant to Western people.
>
> They said the findings would help health workers tackle the growing
> obesity crisis.
>
> �Obesity and excess body weight is now a worldwide problem...However,
> few countries have effectively addressed this issue,� said the
> academics, led by Masako Kakizaki of Tohoku University.
>
> �Factors associated with being overweight or obese are diverse, and
> our data indicate that personality trait is one of these
> factors...Extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism are associated
> with being overweight, and neuroticism is associated with being
> underweight.�
>
> They added: �Such personality traits should be taken into account when
> planning interventions for overweight, obese, or underweight people,
> and different intervention programmes need to be designed for each
> personality trait in a public health policy or clinical work.
>
> "For example, if a person is found to have a high score for
> extroversion or psychoticism, or a low score for neuroticism, then
> awareness of the risk of being overweight or obese should be
> promoted.�
> "

I know plenty of unhappy introverted fat people. I am not sure how
useful this study would be in practice.

Lance

On Jan 22, 10:23 pm, Lance  wrote:
> Peter Brooks wrote:
> > This is interesting research, but the article itself seems rather
> > confused about cause and effect.
>
> > It isn't clear to me quite how it helps a clinician, faced with an
> > obese patient, to be aware that he's not neurotic and is extroverted
> > is going to help him much. Is the supposed to suggest that the person
> > stays at home and worries? Or is he  going to tell him that, once he's
> > lost weight, he can look forward to losing his sense of fun? Neither
> > seem to be ideal prospects for change...
>
> > "
> > Fat people are extroverts, research shows
> > By Graham Tibbetts
>
> > The popular image of fat people as figures of fun and jollity,
> > typified for centuries by favourites of fiction such as Falstaff and
> > Billy Bunter, is based on fact, according to scientific research.
>
> > A study of 30,000 people aged between 40 and 64 has found that
> > extroverts tend to be overweight, while worriers are more likely to be
> > thin.
>
> > Subjects were asked about their height and weight, enabling scientists
> > to calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI), then given a personality
> > test.
>
> > After adjustments were made for other factors such as smoking and
> > drinking, researchers found that outgoing people were far more likely
> > than other people to have a BMI above 25 - widely used as a definition
> > of being overweight.
>
> > Men in the most extrovert category were 1.73 times more likely to be
> > obese than their most introvert counterparts, while extrovert women
> > were 1.53 times as likely to be obese.
>
> > People ranked as having the most anxious personalities were twice as
> > likely as the least anxious to be underweight, defined as having a BMI
> > of less than 18.5.
>
> > The study, published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research this
> > month, was conducted in north-eastern Japan but researchers said it
> > was also relevant to Western people.
>
> > They said the findings would help health workers tackle the growing
> > obesity crisis.
>
> > �Obesity and excess body weight is now a worldwide problem...However,
> > few countries have effectively addressed this issue,� said the
> > academics, led by Masako Kakizaki of Tohoku University.
>
> > �Factors associated with being overweight or obese are diverse, and
> > our data indicate that personality trait is one of these
> > factors...Extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism are associated
> > with being overweight, and neuroticism is associated with being
> > underweight.�
>
> > They added: �Such personality traits should be taken into account when
> > planning interventions for overweight, obese, or underweight people,
> > and different intervention programmes need to be designed for each
> > personality trait in a public health policy or clinical work.
>
> > "For example, if a person is found to have a high score for
> > extroversion or psychoticism, or a low score for neuroticism, then
> > awareness of the risk of being overweight or obese should be
> > promoted.�
> > "
>
> I know plenty of unhappy introverted fat people. I am not sure how
> useful this study would be in practice.
>
One would need to see the original study, I agree. Yes, I agree too
that it is too simplistic to suggest that fat people are all happy
extroverts!