Relationships between restrained eating and personality and self-esteem

by John B. Nezlek, Catherine A. Forestell

We examined relationships between restrained eating and personality and self-esteem in a sample of 4382 undergraduates attending a university in the US, M_age = 18.9, SD = 1.42. Restrained eating was measured using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, personality was measured using the BFI-44, and self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Restrained eating scores were regressed onto the five personality traits of the BFI-44 using ordinary least squares multiple linear regression. These analyses found that restrained eating was significantly and positively related to extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Restrained eating was not significantly related to agreeableness and openness. Moderation analyses suggested that restrained eating was not related to neuroticism for women with obesity, but it was related for women without obesity. Restrained eating was negatively correlated with self-esteem, and this relationship was stronger for women than it was for men. These findings contribute to our understanding about the personality factors associated with restrained eating, which may help us better understand individual differences in dietary behaviors.