Freewheeler or Foodie? – Your diet personality could be holding you back

By Ellen Singleton , Ellen Singleton

Are you a thinker or a craver? Maybe you’re more of a freewheeler, or you might consider yourself a bit of a foodie? A new year often brings on the urge to eat better and lose weight, and while we start off with best intentions, our personalities might be holding us back from successfully changing our eating habits.

“Your personality can play a vital role in your ability to persist with a healthy eating plan,” our Behavioural Scientist Dr Sinead Golley said.

And yet most diets focus on nutrition and exercise information, ignoring behavioural and emotional aspects that influence a person’s eating.

This means many Australians are unintentionally dieting ‘blind’ – they’re choosing the wrong dieting approach for their personality and lifestyle.

Given many Australians have unhealthy eating habits, our team of behavioural scientists collected data on personality traits and characteristics derived from psychological literature, with a focus on those that may be critical for maintaining a diet. After analysing responses from 1,500 people, five clear diet types emerged that related to different eating behaviours:

The Thinker – Overthinking leads to stress and mood swings which often derail your diet

Overthinking leads to stress and mood swings which often derail your diet The Craver – Your heightened experience of cravings can lead to overeating in a variety of ‘tricky’ situations

Your heightened experience of cravings can lead to overeating in a variety of ‘tricky’ situations The Foodie – Food is on your mind 24/7 – you love making, eating and buying it

Food is on your mind 24/7 – you love making, eating and buying it The Socialiser – Flexibility is essential – you won’t let a diet stifle your social life

Flexibility is essential – you won’t let a diet stifle your social life The Freewheeler – Reactive and impulsive, you struggle to say no to food.

By understanding these triggers, you can identify the strategies that will work for you – giving you a much better chance at sticking to those New Year’s resolutions!

“Many people start the New Year with a resolution to eat better and lose weight. But when it comes to weight loss, finding a program that fits your lifestyle can be a challenge,” said Professor Manny Noakes, our Research Director and co-author of the Total Wellbeing Diet.

So are you a foodie or a freewheeler? Find out with the free ‘diet type’ survey.