<p>There was a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009265660900172X" rel="nofollow">study</a> that was published in 2009, which focused on food and self-control. This study, revealed that self-control didn’t have much of an effect one way or another on whether or not the volunteers were able to constrain themselves from eating the presented food (in this case, chips)</p>

<p>In addition, professor and health psychologist <a href="http://www.psych.umn.edu/people/profile.php?UID=mann" rel="nofollow">Traci L Mann</a> Ph.D. concluded ,through her studies, that willpower is a myth when it comes to dieting. You can view the multiple papers she has written <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Traci%20Mann" rel="nofollow">here</a> or purchase <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0062329235" rel="nofollow">her book</a> on this topic on amazon.   </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-27T05:28:39.897Z
2015-12-27T05:28:39.897Z
HarrisR
<p>I remember reading that the amount of measured willpower is uncorrelated with dieting success.
On the other hand there are various popular article that suggest that there a link.</p>

<p>What does the science on the subject say?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-30T10:05:14.983Z
Hi @Christian, would you have a link from where you read that willpower is uncorrelated with dieting success? Someone with high willpower would be more able to complete a diet plan, so it would mean that the diet plan itself is ineffective. Depends which diet plan?
Yvonne Liew
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-01T15:46:54.987Z
@YvonneLiew : I'm not sure about the exact source of my belief. It might have been Baumeisters book on Willpower likely based on the studies by Mann mentioned in the anser.
`Someone with high willpower would be more able to complete a diet plan` how do you think you know that? If you have a source please provide it.
Christian
<motivation><willpower>
Are people with high willpower more likely to succeed at keeping a diet then people with lower willpower?
Christian
# Are people with high willpower more likely to succeed at keeping a diet then people with lower willpower?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-26)

I remember reading that the amount of measured willpower is uncorrelated with dieting success.
On the other hand there are various popular article that suggest that there a link.

What does the science on the subject say?

**Tags:** motivation, willpower

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hi @username_0, would you have a link from where you read that willpower is uncorrelated with dieting success? Someone with high willpower would be more able to complete a diet plan, so it would mean that the diet plan itself is ineffective. Depends which diet plan?  
> **username_0**: @YvonneLiew : I'm not sure about the exact source of my belief. It might have been Baumeisters book on Willpower likely based on the studies by Mann mentioned in the anser. `Someone with high willpower would be more able to complete a diet plan` how do you think you know that? If you have a source please provide it.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-12-27. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

There was a [study](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009265660900172X) that was published in 2009, which focused on food and self-control. This study, revealed that self-control didn’t have much of an effect one way or another on whether or not the volunteers were able to constrain themselves from eating the presented food (in this case, chips)

In addition, professor and health psychologist [Traci L Mann](http://www.psych.umn.edu/people/profile.php?UID=mann) Ph.D. concluded ,through her studies, that willpower is a myth when it comes to dieting. You can view the multiple papers she has written [here](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Traci%20Mann) or purchase [her book](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0062329235) on this topic on amazon.


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