Photo: Nat Fein/Getty Images 
 
 At any given moment, an estimated 108 million people in the United States are on a diet. But despite the fact that the U.S. weight-loss industry makes roughly $20 billion in revenue each year, people continue to fail for one reason or another. Part of the problem, new research suggests, is that our eating habits are influenced by deep-seated personality traits. Your neuroticism, in other words, could be partially responsible for your love of chocolate and cheese. 
 
 For the study, published in the journal Appetite, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology sent three questionnaires — one on personality, one on eating habits, and one on food choices — to a random sample of addresses. After excluding subjects who skipped more than 10 percent of the questions, data from nearly a thousand participants (with an average age of 55 years old) was analyzed. 
 
 The personality questions were designed to measure what psychologists believe are the five basic dimensions of personality — openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The researchers were curious whether, and to what extent, high or low scores on these different traits would correlate with certain eating habits. 
 
 “We found that a person’s personality does, in fact, determine why he or she eats and what he or she eats,” said Carmen Keller, the study’s lead author. For one thing, “A lack of conscientiousness leads people to eat impulsively and to lose self-control in the face of tempting food situations with palatable and nicely smelling and tasting food,” she explained. In addition, “Neurotic people may eat too much high-caloric food to deal with their negative emotions.” 
 
 Extroversion, which, unlike neuroticism or a lack of conscientiousness tends to have mostly positive connotations in society, was also linked to potentially unhealthy eating habits. “A surprising result is that extroverted people eat more due to external reasons — such as a nice smell or the taste of food — and, in turn, they often consume more meat, sweet foods, savory foods, and sugar-sweetened drinks,” explained Keller. “It might be that the higher sociability of extroverted people results in having more meals with other people and, therefore, eating foods that are not healthy.” Indeed, a lot of past research has suggested that social components greatly influence both what people eat and how frequently they exercise, including studies showing that people-pleasers eat more, women mimic each other’s eating behaviors, and finding a walking group can help you become healthier. 
 
 Taken together, the results reported by Keller and her team suggest that certain personality characteristics can be seen as “risk factors” for an unhealthy lifestyle. “These findings add to a growing body of evidence showing the importance of the personality traits of neuroticism and conscientiousness for a variety of health-related behaviors, including a healthy diet,” said Tim Bogg, an assistant professor of psychology at Wayne State University, who has studied conscientiousness and health, but who wasn’t involved in this study. “The results show that part of the complicated puzzle of maintaining a healthy diet over the long term is related to our general tendencies for emotion regulation and self-control, not simply how good we are at counting calories or avoiding trans fats.” 
 
 In other words, there could be an underrated “know thyself” aspect to successful weight management — understanding how you respond to a stressful day at work, say, or to attending a party where there’s likely to be a lot of food. As Fiona Johnson, a research associate at University College London who also wasn’t affiliated with this study explained, since personality traits are “largely stable over the life course,” understanding the connection between them and eating habits could offer important new opportunities for people to better monitor and control their eating habits. “Overcoming these fundamental tendencies can be very difficult, and identifying ways in which people can boost their capacity to control their eating (eating self-regulation) is the next big challenge in eating research.” 
 
 There are limitations to this study — for example, it only sampled Swiss subjects, and did so with self-reported inventories — but it certainly adds some evidence to the common-sense notion that our personalities, which greatly influence how we react to just about everything, also affect what — and how much — to eat. So while there’s more research to be done, those trying to lose weight might want to look into not just calorie-counting apps and healthier foods at the supermarket, but personality inventories, too. 

 Is your personality making you fat? It sounds like a joke, but doctors looked into the question and found out that yep, your personality does seem to be linked with your eating habits -- for better and for worse. But that doesn't necessarily mean downing all those M&Ms is your destiny. 
 
 In a study published in the journal Appetite, researchers sent out three questionnaires: One on personality, one on eating habits, and one on food habits. Lo and behold, the results revealed some consistent patterns. Lead author Carmen Keller says, "We found that a person's personality does, in fact, determine why he or she eats and what he or she eats." 
 
 Here's how it all rolls out. 
 
 Extroverts: Respond more to external reasons like tasty aromas and end up eating more sweets, meats, savory foods, and sugary drinks. This could also be because they're more likely to eat socially. 
 
 Respond more to external reasons like tasty aromas and end up eating more sweets, meats, savory foods, and sugary drinks. This could also be because they're more likely to eat socially. People who lack conscientiousness: Give in to temptation more easily, especially with food that smells or tastes great, and they also eat more impulsively. 
 
 Give in to temptation more easily, especially with food that smells or tastes great, and they also eat more impulsively. Conscientious people: Eat more healthy foods and are less likely to overeat. 
 
 Eat more healthy foods and are less likely to overeat. Neurotics: Eat their feelings, especially high-calorie foods in response to negative emotions. 
 
 Eat their feelings, especially high-calorie foods in response to negative emotions. People who are open to new experiences: Tend to eat more fruit, vegetables, and salads. 
 
 But back to the question, does your personality seal your destiny when it comes to your eating habits? Not at all! What's helpful about this study is that you may be able to learn your "triggers" just by understanding your personality type. Of course, we are much more complex than these types. But I still think they can provide some helpful hints. 
 
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 If you know you're an extrovert, you'll know to be especially careful when eating with your friends. If you lack conscientiousness in other aspects of your life (meaning you tend to be more impulsive, less careful), you know you give into to temptation easily. So think about how you can avoid temptation preemptively. 
 
 And if you're neurotic, you know you have a tendency to eat your feelings. But maybe you knew that already! So if you know you do that, are there other ways to manage your negative emotions? 
 
 It's also helpful to know that conscientiousness is something you can cultivate. It's related to mindfulness, a word we hear a lot these days. So if you're thinking about how you can turn around your eating habits, maybe start by thinking about how you can become more mindful overall. 
 
 Do you see yourself in any of these types? Do you feel like your personality influences how you eat? 
 
 Image via Vinogradov Illya/Shutterstock
– If you crave chocolate after a hard day at work or eat too much junk food when out with friends, your personality may be to blame, according to a new study in the journal Appetite. Researchers at Switzerland's Federal Institute of Technology compiled 1,000 Swiss responses to three questionnaires on eating habits, food choices, and personality, with the latter questionnaire designed to identify one of five basic dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. "We found that a person's personality does, in fact, determine why he or she eats and what he or she eats," study author Carmen Keller says. As well, certain characteristics may be "risk factors" for an unhealthy diet or lifestyle, and understanding those characteristics could play a key role in "successful weight management," New York adds. Extroverts, who typically exhibit healthy social behavior, may eat more sweets, meats, savory foods, and sugary drinks, the study found. "It might be that the higher sociability of extroverted people results in having more meals with other people and, therefore, eating foods that are not healthy," Keller says. Neurotic people tend to eat as a result of negative emotions, while people who aren't conscientious are likely to cave to a delicious smell or taste. Conscientious people tend to eat healthier foods and avoid eating for external or emotional reasons, the Stir notes. They're also less likely to overeat. Interestingly, those open to new experiences tend to eat more fruit, veggies, and salads, and consume less meat and soft drinks. Overall, the study finds counting calories may not be enough to maintain a healthy diet. "Identifying ways in which people can boost their capacity to control their eating is the next big challenge in eating research," an expert says. (A psychologist has proposed a no-diet weight loss plan.)