weight loss It can largely depend on each individual’s habits and relationship with food.
With this in mind, new research from City St George’s, University of London, has found that categorizing people into ‘dietary profiles’ can help achieve lasting results.
The basis of the research was online quiz Developed by the university, it guided participants through 17 questions asking about behavioral habits related to emotional eating, diet, and exercise.
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Based on their answers, quiz participants were grouped into four profiles or phenotypes: Purple Lavender, Red Chili, Yellow Saffron, and Green Sage.
The quiz then provided customized advice for building a healthier long-term lifestyle, including how to achieve and improve your personal goals. meal selection And incorporate more movement.
Study participants in the UK were enrolled in a 12-week digital weight loss program in addition to seven weeks of personalized advice.
Those who took the quiz and verified their profile showed “significant” engagement with the 12-week program compared to those who did not. They were also more likely to stick with it, the university said.
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Quiz participants also recorded and communicated with more meals. health coach More often, more weight was lost on average.
“Although short-term weight differences were not statistically significant, weekly phenotype-tailored advice was associated with significantly increased engagement in real-world digital programs,” the authors conclude in a study published in JMIR Formative Research.
Although the study was not randomized, only followed participants for a short period of time, and relied on self-reported weight, the results suggest that digital weight loss programs should be tailored based on how people do. usually eat Researchers say these behaviors may help more users stick with them.
Additionally, it added that larger, randomized trials with longer follow-up are “warranted to determine whether increased engagement leads to clinically meaningful weight loss.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the study authors for comment.
According to the researchers, “red chiles” are characterized by “high maladaptive hedonic eating, low self-regulation, and high psychological avoidance.”
This means that Red Chili members tend to feel like their eating is out of control, use food to cope with negative emotions, feel guilty about their eating habits, and ignore problems. This group also tends to follow dietary restrictionsHowever, if things don’t go well, you end up overeating.
“Yellow Saffron” is based on “high hedonic eating and reward responsiveness, and low maladaptive eating.”
These people may find it difficult to: resist overeatingchoose foods based on taste rather than health benefits, and frequently crave foods high in calories, fat, and sugar.
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“Purple Lavender” represented “low self-regulation and high psychological avoidance, and low maladaptiveness and hedonic eating.”
This group tends to set goals and pursue them temporarily, but may give up when faced with obstacles. Purple Lavender may lose enthusiasm after starting to make changes, find it difficult to continue, or ignore problems and challenges.
In the quiz, “Green Sage” is characterized as having “low maladaptiveness, high hedonic eating, high self-regulation, and low psychological avoidance.”
These people often need clear guidance to make positive lifestyle changes, but lack of motivation can cause them to put off working toward their goals.
People with green sage may tend not to consume the recommended amount. physical activity Even if you often cook at home, make sure you eat the recommended amount of vegetables for good health.
Ilana Muhlstein, a Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and nutritionist, praised the quiz for being “really intuitive.”
“That’s really true emotional and behavioral Weight loss is what people struggle with the most,” the California-based expert told FOX News Digital.
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“They did a great job identifying your personal information. type of eating“This changes your mindset and gives you an explanation of what to work on. It’s no surprise to me that it made a huge difference in early motivation and adherence to the weight loss plan,” she continued.
Since the results showed no significant difference at seven weeks, Muhlstein suggested this meant researchers “need to work on better follow-up” to be more consistent.
Certified holistic nutritionist Robin DeCicco added that it “makes sense” to be aware of your food habits and behaviors to promote weight loss and health. health goals.
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“Health is a personal topic. Behavior and personality play a big role, so there is no one-size-fits-all diet for each person,” the New York expert told FOX News Digital.
“Following a general diet of what to eat and what to avoid will not produce meaningful change unless personality types, behaviors, and habits are addressed.”
