A new CSIRO-developed tool is helping people maintain their New Year’s resolutions to improve their health by identifying behavioral and personally traits that can play a role in how successfully people stick to a diet.
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CSIRO Diet Types helps people identify the type of dieter they are and provides tailored strategies to help successfully change eating habits.
Behavioral scientists at CSIRO identified the five main types of dieters;
- The Thinker – overthinking leads to stress and mood swings which can derail eating patterns
- The Craver - heightened experience of cravings can lead to overeating
- The Foodie - food on the mind 24/7, a love of making, eating and experiencing it
- The Socialiser - flexibility is essential, strict food restrictions won’t stifle social life
- The Freewheeler - spontaneous and impulsive, choices are made in the here-and-now
Based on a person’s categorisation, Diet Types goes further than a standard nutrition-and-exercise diet plan and gives tips based on personality to help dieters stick to their plans.
CSIRO’s Dr Sinead Golley outlined the importance of understanding personality in dieting.
“Many Australians are making New Year’s weight loss resolutions ‘blind’, and not understanding what approach may best fit their personality and lifestyle, and what challenges they may face,” Dr Golley said.
“Your personality can play a vital role in your ability to persist with a healthy eating plan.”
Wagga-based nutritionist Aidan Muir agreed that a greater understanding of dieting is key.
“(Fad diets) may result in weight loss but it’s not going to be sustainable,” Mr Muir said.
“Cutting out a particular food group can lead to not receiving the right nutrition and problems later on.”
Once a Diet Types assessment is complete it can be used to personalise CSIRO’s hugely popular Total Wellbeing Diet
Director and co-author of the Total Wellbeing Diet, professor Manny Noakes said a personalised plan can be much more effective than a generic one.
“Understanding your diet type offers a better way to target how you approach weight loss through connecting people with a more personalised eating plan,” professor Noakes said.
The Diet Types survey can be completed at www.totalwellbeingdiet.com.
