(On a side note, one of the beauties of the Enneagram is that it not only points to a level of psychic health, but predicts how a specific type will respond when under stress. For example, a Two will act, entirely out of character, like an Eight, while a Seven will seemingly morph into a One.)
Psychic health--how psychologically healthy we are--is of critical import when it comes to weight management. Many of us manage our feelings through things we do (or don’t do) to our bodies. Being able to successfully manage feelings--that is, having a high level of psychic health--makes it possible to follow through on weight management goals with ease, rather than white-knuckling our way through them. Whether your indulgence is soda, alcohol, junk TV, binge eating, mindless eating, neglecting exercise, or negative self-talk, the better your psychic health, the easier it will be to transcend your indulgent behavior. That is, as you progress through the levels of health within your own Enneagram type, you'll find it naturally easier and easier to follow through on your goals, and managing your weight will be a natural side effect.
In addition, I’ve noticed there are tendencies in each type that affect weight management. For example, Twos, Sixes, and Nines share “nice guy” tendencies that make them susceptible to the tendency to take better care of others than they do of themselves. Ones, Threes, and Sevens can be especially impulsive or flighty, which can lead them to vicious cycles of overindulgence followed by strict diets or workouts.
Riso observes in “Wisdom of the Enneagram” (p 68) that there are three “harmonic groups.” In working with clients, I’ve observed that the Positive Outlook Group (Twos, Sevens, and Nines) does indeed “tend to deny they have a problem”—which can be a serious problem when it comes to making weight management changes! The Competency Group (Ones, Threes, and Fives) prefers to deal with problems logically, rather than emotionally. They’re often excellent record-keepers, but can struggle with making connections between what they record and how it’s affecting their health. The Reactive Group (Fours, Sixes, and Eights) “need response from others,” which can mean they can be unusually susceptible to extrinsic motivators that give them a boost to begin with, but fail them in the long run—and they can really struggle to dig deep within to find those intrinsic motivators that will help them be successful for a lifetime.
I remember knowing as a teenager that I wasn’t the same person I had been when I was five years old, and feeling frustrated that I couldn't figure out how to recapture the essence of the child I remembered. While discovering through the Enneagram that I wasn’t as emotionally healthy as I thought I was didn’t sit well with me, it did give me a glimpse as to what being a healthy version of me as an adult would look like. Using the Enneagram as a pathway for psychic change has helped me reconnect with that five-year-old self I remember. In the process, I’ve been able to let go of using food, exercise, negative self-talk, and other strategies to feel safe. Instead, I’ve learned to choose healthy ways to manage my feelings and order my life.
What about you? Have you used the Enneagram, or another personality test, and found what you learned about yourself helpful in your weight management journey? Post below and tell us about it!
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