Couch potatoes are more docile, say scientists, who claim to have found a link between an individual’s personality and their capacity to exercise or generate energy, explaining the different behaviours.
“Humans are not the only animals that choose to exercise and — as with people — individuals within the same species differ in their levels of activity,” said Peter Biro of University of New South Wales, who led the study.
Likewise, researchers now recognise that many animals have “personality”, in that they display consistent differences in behaviours.
According to Dr Biro, it is significant that those behaviours often relate to the rates at which they acquire and expend energy through feeding or activity.
“Some of us are couch potatoes while others are drawn to sport and exercise. We often associate the athletic ‘jock’ type or person with being aggressive and social, whereas the more sedentary ‘nerd’ often is seen as more socially awkward and submissive. These are generalisations, but most people would probably agree there is some truth to them. If so, why should individuals differ in their propensity for activity and in their personality, and why might they be related?” he said.
The study, published in the Trends in Ecology and Evolution journal, reviews a wide range of recent research into these questions and concludes that there is now enough evidence to suggest a link between an individual’s personality and the rate of metabolism — the chemical process converting food into the energy that fuels the body. —PTI