ABSTRACT
At times, I end up carrying more body fat than I want because I have a sweet tooth, am a bit low in self-control, and occasionally reach for a shot of whisky when I could drink a herbal tea. I recognize these motivational cravings, traits, and habits as personal limitations, and not as things that make me proud. In contrast, I am pleased with my values, and am proud on the occasions I manage to express them in my actions. Yet, even values are related to problems like obesity, which the World Health Organization (2000) has declared a “global epidemic.” Medical models indicate that obesity is due to the fact that many of us are eating more and doing less, perhaps because food has become less expensive, more varied, and more palatable (Stroebe, 2011), while technological developments continually “engineer physical e ort out of the environment” (Sharpe et al., 2007, p. 3). Although these environmental factors play a crucial role, health practitioners also point to individual di erences in motivation (e.g. to exercise), traits (e.g. self-control), and habits (e.g. impulsive snacking). Values also matter: healthy eating and exercise are more likely when people have spent time focusing on why health is an important value in their life (Tapper et al., 2012; 2013, 2014).
