PERSONALITY AND DIMENSIONS OF DIETARY RESTRAINT

Objective: Given that dietary restraint and associated dietary behavio r may predispose individuals to frank eating disorders, and that diffe rences in personality profiles have been observed across subtypes of e ating disorders, we sought to address whether aspect of restrained eat ing (cognitive restraint, disinhibition, and susceptibility to hunger) could be distinguished using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Method: One hundred and one women aged 18-45 selected at random from the community completed the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Stu dies (DIGS) the TCI, and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Results: Novelty seeking (NS) was significantly positively correlated with disinhibition. Self-directedness (SD) was negatively correlated with the total TFEQ score, disinhibition, and susceptibility to hunger . Self-transcendence (ST) correlated positively with total TFEQ score and cognitive restraint. Discussion: These findings suggest that indiv iduals with character traits denoting low SD and high ST may be partic ularly reactive and susceptible to societal messages pertaining to the ideology of slenderness. (C) 1998 by John Wiley Br Sons, Inc.