The Role of Grit in Body Weight Regulation over Time

Abstract

Management of body weight (BW) over time remains a challenge for most individuals, specifically women during young adulthood. Grit, the perseverance and passion for sustaining efforts to pursue goals over time, and other personality traits may play a role in BW regulation. This prospective study explored the association of grit, cognitive eating restraint (CER), disinhibition and hunger in predicting BW and BW change over 12 months in a sample of healthy premenopausal women. The Short Grit Scale (Grit‐S) and Eating Inventory (EI) were completed by 79 women [mean±SD, age: 31.5±8.2 y, BW: 76.3±19.2 kg, body mass index (BMI): 28.0±6.9 kg/m2] upon enrollment (baseline) and after completion of a 1‐year weight gain prevention intervention; BW and BMI were assessed at the same time intervals. Paired t‐tests were used to evaluate changes over time and independent t‐tests were used to compare women who met weight gain prevention criteria with those who did not. The relationship between baseline Grit‐S score and month 12 BW, BMI and percent BW change were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Backward elimination regression was used to further evaluate predictors of month 12 BW, BMI and percent BW change. All analyses were conducted using SPSS (version 22.0); significance was set at P<0.05. Average Grit‐S, CER, disinhibition and hunger scores did not significantly change over 12 months. Body weight and BMI, respectively, at baseline and month 12 were negatively associated with baseline grit (baseline: r=−0.24, P<0.05; r=−0.23, P<0.05; month 12: r=−0.25, P<0.05; r=−0.23, P<0.05) and positively associated with disinhibition (baseline: r=0.31, P<0.01; r=0.29, P<0.01; month 12: r=0.34, P<0.01; r=0.31, P<0.01). Lower baseline disinhibition and greater increases in CER over time were related to successful weight gain prevention (both P<0.05). Change in BW was not associated with any measures. Disinhibition predicted month 12 BW (F=9.80, P<0.01) and BMI (F=8.08. P<0.01). No measures significantly predicted BW change. Successful body weight regulation over 12 months was characterized by low disinhibition at baseline and an increase in CER over time. Additionally, high levels of grit and low levels of disinhibition at baseline were related to lower BW and BMI at the end of the 1‐year intervention. Future interventions should consider strategies that manage disinhibition and increase CER over time.Support or Funding InformationFunded by an Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station/National Institute of Food and Agriculture research grant (#1001251).