Regardless of how much information or education we have on nutrition the way we eat may be more influenced and dictated by our individual personalities and psychology.
I have found using the tool of the enneagram to not only be extremely helpful for the relationships in my life but also for giving me a greater understanding of not just what I eat but why and when.
Honestly, this kind of knowledge could completely change, not just the way you eat but your body shape and relationship to food.
What Is The Enneagram?
If you don’t know what the enneagram is, it is a system of personality typing that describes patterns in how a person interprets their world and manages their emotions.
According to the enneagram, each of the different nine personalities is defined by a particular core belief about how the world works. This belief drives a person’s deepest motivations and fears.
Understanding a person’s enneagram type helps us see the why. Why they behave the way they do. Why they believe what they do. What motivates their actions and dictates their decisions.
I love using the enneagram as a tool to better understand myself and those around me because it provides a greater understanding of others and shows opportunities for personal development and growth.
The Nine Types
1 - The Reformer
The rational, idealistic type
(Principled, purposeful, self-controlled and perfectionistic)
2 - The Helper
The caring, interpersonal type
(Demonstrative, generous, people-pleasing, and possessive)
3- The Achiever
The success-oriented, pragmatic type
(Adaptive, excelling, driven, and image-conscious)
4 - The Individualist
The sensitive, withdrawn type
Expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental
5 - The Investigator
The intense, cerebral type
Perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated
6 - The Loyalist
The committed, security-oriented type
Engaging, responsible, anxious, suspicious
7 - The Enthusiast
The busy, fun-loving type
Spontaneous, versatile, distractible, and scattered
8 - The Challenger
The powerful, dominating type
Self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational
9 - The Peacemaker
The easygoing, modest type
Receptive, reassuring, agreeable, and complacent
Enneagram & Eating
The images below are about to see are from posters that I created in both my online and Etsy store.
Now that we’ve summarized the various enneagram types we’re going to briefly look at each type and how these various personalities respond to emotional eating, diets, and nutrition tendencies.
Remember, these are generalizations. You may resonate with one personality type more than another but that doesn’t mean you have the exact same eating tendencies. Childhood, lifestyle, culture, trauma, friend groups, and so many other factors have an impact on why we eat what we do.
The beauty of the enneagram is that the goal is to become the best, most well-rounded versions of ourselves who have bits and pieces of every type.
TYPE 1: THE PERFECTIONIST
The ones have an ingrained desire for perfection and this desire can also resonate with perfection in their body image. Because of this desire, ones are more likely to suffer from eating disorders and may even avoid vulnerable places, such as the pool, gym, or beach, to hide their perceived imperfections. This type, more than most others, is drawn to restriction and may suffer from comparing themselves to unattainable ideals.
All types can suffer from weight gain and emotional eating and the ones are no exception. Because the ones can often restrict and try to control their eating they may binge or eat “forbidden” foods when they feel bad, wrong, or out of control. This binging as a way to “punish” themselves for making “bad” choices may lead them to struggle with their weight.
Hormonally, the ones are also at risk for being sensitive to cortisol, the stress hormone. People who have excess cortisol may suffer from gaining fat in their stomach.
If you are a one, try not to be so critical and hard on yourself. Give yourself grace.
TYPE 2: THE NURTURER
The twos can be some of the sweetest, kindest, most loving people you will ever meet and they often use food as a way to express love or easily connect with their loved ones over a meal. However, because they are prone to give so much of themselves to others, and sacrifice themselves, they can be drawn to emotional stuffing and comfort food seeking. When twos feel empty they can use food to fill this emotional emptiness.
Twos who suffer from excess weight or who are feeling out of balance in their bodies may view food as being synonymous with love. They are triggered to emotionally eat when they feel unloved and unappreciated, which can lead to craving and eating comfort foods.
Hormonally, twos, especially female twos, are at risk for being sensitive to excess estrogen, one of the dominant sex hormones. People who have excess estrogen may suffer from storing more fat in the hips and upper thighs.
If you are a two, try to focus on loving and serving yourself in the same way you love and serve others. You are worthy of being loved and nourished.
