Self-control problems and obesity: An experimental study

Abstract: Several detrimental health behaviors can be viewed as problems of self-control, composed of an immediate reward and delayed adverse consequences. Drug abusers, pathological gamblers and many obese people engage in activities providing instant pleasure, while long-term health and social functioning are compromised. Drug abusers have been shown to display self-control problems regarding both their drug of choice and money, indicating a possibility of a general discounting mechanism. This proposition has further been strengthened by the identification of a pharmacological compound simultaneously affecting drug dependence, overeating and nicotine use. This thesis investigates whether obese people with acknowledged self-control problems for food also are impulsive regarding money. This is done by use of an experiment with real monetary rewards, administered to obese patients voluntarily enrolled at a specialist clinic, and matched controls. In contrast to findings from similar experiments in drug abusers, the results provide no support for the proposition that obese people have greater self-control problems regarding money. Hence the findings do not lend support to a theory of a commodity-independent, general discount rate.