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Severe obesity and personality: a comparative controlled study of personality traits

International Journal of Obesity volume 27, pages 1534–1540 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose was to assess personality trait differences between the severely obese seeking treatment and a mainly non-obese reference group. We also investigated gender differences and differences between obese patients and obese not seeking treatment.

METHOD: Personality traits were assessed using 7 of 15 scales from the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP): Somatic Anxiety, Muscular Tension, Psychastenia, Psychic Anxiety, Monotony Avoidance, Impulsiveness, and Irritability. Patients from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) intervention study (n=3270, ages 37–57, 71% women) and the SOS reference study (n=1135, 54% women) completed the survey. Data presented in this study were gathered prior to treatment. Significance tests and effects sizes were calculated.

RESULTS: Although statistically significant differences were found between obese patients and reference subjects on nearly all personality traits, effect sizes were at most moderate. Of the three scales with moderate effects sizes, differences on Somatic Anxiety and Psychastenia could be traced to items tapping condition-specific symptoms, e.g., problems with sweating and breathing as indicators of Somatic Anxiety. Moderate differences on the Impulsiveness scale (men alone) could not be explained by item composition. Further, the obese patients differed from obese in the reference group, and both obese and reference women reported significantly higher levels on Somatic Anxiety, Muscular Tension and Psychic Anxiety compared to men (effect size: small).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results provided no evidence of a general obese personality profile, instead considerable heterogeneity in personality traits was observed across our obese samples (treatment seekers vs non-seekers, men vs women) and generally only small differences were noted compared to a reference study population. Further research is needed to investigate if the somewhat elevated levels of Impulsiveness, particularly among male obese patients, is affected by weight loss. When assessing personality traits in diseased groups consideration should be given to possible confounding from, e.g., somatic symptoms.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Care Research Unit, Institute of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg University, Sweden

    A Rydén, M Sullivan, J Karlsson & C Taft

  2. Dept of Body Composition and Metabolism, Institute of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg University, Sweden

    J S Torgerson & A-K Lindroos

Authors
  1. A Rydén
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  2. M Sullivan
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  3. J S Torgerson
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  4. J Karlsson
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  5. A-K Lindroos
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  6. C Taft
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A Rydén.

Additional information

Grants: The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (project 2001–1106), the Swedish Foundation for Health Care Sciences and Allergy Research (project V96 065), the Swedish Research Council (project Y0748), the Faculty of Medicine, Göteborg University.

Appendix A. Abbreviated items from each personality factor

Appendix A. Abbreviated items from each personality factor

Anxiety proneness

Somatic anxiety

Sometimes when upset, I suddenly feel as if my legs are too weak to carry me.

Sometimes my cheeks burn even if it isn't particularly hot.

Muscular tension

I often find myself gnashing my jaws together for no real reason.

I have difficulty sitting in a relaxed position even in a comfortable chair.

Psychastenia

I don't mind being interrupted when I'm working with something. (-)

I easily feel pressure when I'm urged to speed up.

Psychic Anxiety

I often worry about things that other people look upon as trifles.

Even though I know I'm right, I often have great difficulty getting my point across.

Extraversion-related

Monotony Avoidance

I prefer people who come up with exciting and unexpected activities.

To be on the move, travelling, change and excitement – that's the kind of life I like.

Impulsiveness

I have a tendency to act on the spur of the moment without really thinking ahead.

I often throw myself into things too hastily.

Aggression

Irritability

Sometimes people bother me by just being around.

I can't help being a little rude to people I don't like.

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Rydén, A., Sullivan, M., Torgerson, J. et al. Severe obesity and personality: a comparative controlled study of personality traits. Int J Obes 27, 1534–1540 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802460

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