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Weight loss can be highly dependent on each individual’s habits and relationship with food.
With this in mind, new research from City St. George’s, University of London, found that categorizing people into “eating profiles” can help people achieve lasting results.
The study was based on an online quiz developed by the university, which led participants through 17 questions asking about their behavioral habits regarding emotional eating, dieting and exercise.
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Quiz-takers were grouped into four profiles, or phenotypes, based on their responses: Purple Lavender, Red Chili, Yellow Saffron and Green Sage.
The quiz then offered tailored advice for building a healthier long-term lifestyle, including how to stick to personal goals, improve dietary choices and incorporate more movement.
The university questionnaire takes behavioral habits into consideration before assigning an eating profile. (iStock)
The U.K. study participants were enrolled in a 12-week digital weight-loss program, in addition to seven weeks of tailored advice.
Those who took the quiz and identified with a profile showed “significant” engagement in the 12-week program compared to those who did not. They were also more likely to stick to it, according to the university.
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Quiz-takers also recorded more meals, communicated with health coaches more frequently and lost more weight on average.
“Phenotype-tailored weekly advice was associated with substantially higher engagement in a real-world digital program, although short-term weight differences were not statistically significant,” the authors concluded in the study, which was published in JMIR Formative Research.
Quiz-takers were grouped into four profiles, or phenotypes, based on their responses: Purple Lavender, Red Chili, Yellow Saffron and Green Sage. (iStock)
Although the study was not randomized, followed participants for only a short time, and relied on self-reported weight, the results suggest that adjusting digital weight-loss programs based on how people typically eat and behave could help more users stick with them, the researchers said.
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Larger, randomized trials with longer follow-ups are “warranted to determine whether increased engagement translates into clinically meaningful weight loss,” they added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.
Breaking down the 4 eating profiles
According to the researchers, “Red Chili” is characterized by “high maladaptive and hedonic eating, low self-regulation and high psychological avoidance.”
This means Red Chili members may feel their eating is out of control, use food to cope with negative emotions, feel guilty about their eating habits and tend to ignore problems. This group also tends to follow restrictive diets, but then overeats when it doesn’t pan out.
Those assigned to an eating profile were more engaged in losing weight. (iStock)
“Yellow Saffron” is based on “high hedonic eating and reward reactivity and low maladaptive eating.”
These individuals may find it difficult to resist overeating, choose 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, as well as low maladaptive and hedonic eating.”
This group tends to set goals and pursue them temporarily, but may give up upon confronting an obstacle. Purple Lavenders may lose enthusiasm after starting to make changes and find it difficult to continue, as well as ignore problems and challenges.
“Green Sage” is characterized in the quiz as “low maladaptive and hedonic eating, high self-regulation and low psychological avoidance.”
“There is no general way of eating that suits each person, because behavior and personality play such a role.”
These individuals often need clear guidance in making positive lifestyle changes, yet put off working toward goals when they lack motivation.
People in Green Sage may tend to not do the recommended amount of physical activity for their health or eat the recommended amount of vegetables for their diet, even if they often cook at home.
Experts weigh in
Los Angeles-based registered dietitian-nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein praised the “really intuitive” quiz.
“It really hits on the emotional and behavioral side of weight loss that people struggle with the most,” the California-based expert told Fox News Digital.
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“It did an amazing job once it identified your eating type, giving you mindset shifts and descriptors on what to work on,” she went on. “It’s no surprise to me that it made a significant difference in the motivation and adherence to the weight loss plan early on.”
Effective weight loss begins with identifying habits and behaviors, experts say. (iStock)
As the results found no significant difference at the seven-week mark, Muhlstein suggested that this means the researchers “have to work on better follow-up measures” to help people stay more consistent.
Certified holistic nutritionist Robin DeCicco added that it “makes sense” to acknowledge habits and behaviors around food to promote weight loss and health goals.
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“Health is an individualized topic. There is no general way of eating that suits each person, because behavior and personality play such a role,” the New York expert told Fox News Digital.
“Following a generic diet of what to eat and what to avoid doesn’t result in any sort of meaningful change unless personality types, behaviors and habits are addressed.”