Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intuitive eating: associations with body weight status and eating attitudes in dietetic majors

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Intuitive eating (IE), an adaptive eating pattern characterized by eating in response to physiological hunger and satiety cues, has been associated with positive psychosocial and physical health outcomes. This study aimed to determine associations between IE behavior with body weight status and eating attitudes in dietetic students and dietitians, who are a risky population for disordered eating and body dissatisfaction.

Methods

Participants (n = 785) completed a self-administered questionnaire which featured socio-demographic characteristics, the eating attitudes test 26, the three-factor eating questionnaire, and the intuitive eating scale-2 with four facets unconditional permission to eat (UPE), eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (EPR), reliance on hunger and satiety cues (RHSC) and body-food choice congruence (B-FCC).

Results

When controlled for potential covariates in the multivariate regression analysis, greater total IE and all subscale scores were associated with reduced BMI in dietetic majors having a BMI of ≥ 18.5 kg/m2 (p < 0.05). Participants with a high IE score had 41%, 74%, and 89% lower risk of developing an eating disorder, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating, respectively (p < 0.001). While higher UPE, EPR, and RHSC scores were associated with lower odds of disordered eating (p < 0.001), EPR, RHSC, and B-FCC scores were inversely related to the risk of uncontrolled eating and emotional eating (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Considering these inverse associations, IE may be helpful for weight management and a useful skill to reduce eating disorder symptomatology among the dietetic community.

Level of evidence

Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Keirns NG, Hawkins MAW (2019) The relationship between intuitive eating and body image is moderated by measured body mass index. Eating Behav 33:91–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2019.04.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Tribole E, Resch E (1995) Intuitive eating: a recovery book for the chronic dieter; rediscover the pleasures of eating and rebuild your body image. St. Martin’s Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  3. Tylka TL (2006) Development and psychometric evaluation of a measure of intuitive eating. J Couns Psychol 53(2):226–240. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.2.226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Tylka TL, Calogero RM, Danielsdottir S (2020) Intuitive eating is connected to self-reported weight stability in community women and men. Eat Disord 28(3):256–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2019.1580126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Carbonneau E, Begin C, Lemieux S et al (2017) A health at every size intervention improves intuitive eating and diet quality in Canadian women. Clin Nutr 36(3):747–754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2016.06.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Horwath C, Hagmann D, Hartmann C (2019) Intuitive eating and food intake in men and women: results from the Swiss food panel study. Appetite 135:61–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.12.036

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Barad A, Cartledge A, Gemmill K et al (2019) Associations between intuitive eating behaviors and fruit and vegetable intake among college students. J Nutr Educ Behav 51(6):758–762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2019.03.010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Seagle HM, Strain GW, Makris A, Reeves RS (2009) Position of the American dietetic association: weight management. J Am Diet Assoc 109(2):330–346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2008.11.041

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bonafini BA, Pozzilli P (2011) Body weight and beauty: the changing face of the ideal female body weight. Obes Rev 12(1):62–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2010.00754.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Arroyo M, Basabe N, Serrano L, Sanchez C, Ansotegui L, Rocandio AM (2010) Prevalence and magnitude of body weight and image dissatisfaction among women in dietetics majors. Arch Latinoam Nutr 60(2):126–132

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Korinth A, Schiess S, Westenhoefer J (2010) Eating behaviour and eating disorders in students of nutrition sciences. Public Health Nutr 13(1):32–37. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980009005709

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kassier SM, Veldman FJ (2014) Eating behaviour, eating attitude and body mass index of dietetic students versus non-dietetic majors: a South African perspective. S Afr J Clin Nutr 27(3):109–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2014.11734498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Rocks T, Pelly F, Slater G, Martin LA (2017) Eating attitudes and behaviours of students enrolled in undergraduate nutrition and dietetics degrees. Nutr Diet 74(4):381–387. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12298

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bacon L, Stern JS, Van Loan MD, Keim NL (2005) Size acceptance and intuitive eating improve health for obese, female chronic dieters. J Acad Nutr Diet 105(6):929–936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.03.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Tribole E, Resch E (2012) Intuitive eating: a revolutionary program that works, 3rd edn. St. Martin’s Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  16. Mondal H, Mondal S, Ghosal T, Mondal S (2018) Using google forms for medical survey: a technical note. Int J Clin Exp Physiol 5(4):216–218. https://doi.org/10.5530/ijcep.2018.5.4.26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Sharma P, Shakya R, Singh S, Balhara YPS (2020) An online survey of problematic internet use and its correlates among undergraduate medical students of Nepal. Neurol Psychol Brain Res 37:95–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npbr.2020.07.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. World Health Organization (2000) Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation. WHO technical report series

  19. Tylka TL, Kroon Van Diest AM (2013) The intuitive eating scale-2: item refinement and psychometric evaluation with college women and men. J Couns Psychol 60(1):137–153. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030893

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Bas M, Karaca KE, Saglam D et al (2017) Turkish version of the intuitive eating scale-2: validity and reliability among university students. Appetite 114:391–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.04.017

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Garner DM, Olmsted MP, Bohr Y, Garfinkel PE (1982) The eating attitudes test: psychometric features and clinical correlates. Psychol Med 12(4):871–878. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291700049163

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Gramaglia C, Gambaro E, Delicato C et al (2019) Orthorexia nervosa, eating patterns and personality traits: a cross-cultural comparison of Italian, Polish and Spanish University students. BMC Psychiatry 19(1):235. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2208-2

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Farchakh Y, Hallit S (2019) Association between orthorexia nervosa, eating attitudes and anxiety among medical students in Lebanese Universities: results of a cross-sectional study. Eat Weight Disord 24(4):683–691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00724-6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lucka I, Domarecki P, Janikowska-Holowenko D, Plenikowska-Slusarz T, Domarecka M (2019) The prevalence and risk factors of orthorexia nervosa among school-age youth of Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian voivodeships. Psychiatr Pol 53(2):383–398. https://doi.org/10.12740/PP/OnlineFirst/90633

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Savaşır I, Erol N (1989) Yeme Tutum Testi: Anoreksi nervoza belirtileri indeksi. Psikoloji Dergisi 7(23):19–25

    Google Scholar 

  26. de Lauzon B, Romon M, Deschamps V et al (2004) The three-factor eating questionnaire-R18 is able to distinguish among different eating patterns in a general population. J Nutr 134(9):2372–2380. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.9.2372

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Kıraç D, Kaspar EÇ, Avcılar T et al (2015) Obeziteyle ilişkili beslenme alışkanlıklarının araştırılmasında yeni bir yöntem “Üç Faktörlü Beslenme Anketi.” MÜSBED 5(3):162–169. https://doi.org/10.5455/musbed.20150602015512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Averina M, Brox J, Huber S, Furberg AS (2018) Perfluoroalkyl substances in adolescents in Northern Norway: lifestyle and dietary predictors. The Tromsø study, fit futures 1. Environ Int 114:123–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.02.031

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Bursac Z, Gauss CH, Williams DK, Hosmer DW (2008) Purposeful selection of variables in logistic regression. Source Code Biol Med 3(1):17. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0473-3-17

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Joslowski G, Goletzke J, Cheng G et al (2012) Prospective associations of dietary insulin demand, glycemic index, and glycemic load during puberty with body composition in young adulthood. Int J Obes (Lond) 36(11):1463–1471. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Schaefer JT, Zullo MD (2017) US registered dietitian nutritionists’ knowledge and attitudes of intuitive eating and use of various weight management practices. J Acad Nutr Diet 117(9):1419–1428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2017.04.017

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Dalal A, Asma S, Lemia S, Maryam A-H (2019) Intuitive eating and weight restrictive practices among dietitians in Kuwait. Arab J Nutr Exerc 4(1):18–32. https://doi.org/10.18502/ajne.v4i1.4481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Simon M, Horacek T (2017) Intuitive eating practices and attitudes of registered dietitian nutritionists. J Acad Nutr Diet 117(10):A131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2017.08.046

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Camilleri GM, Mejean C, Bellisle F et al (2016) Intuitive eating is inversely associated with body weight status in the general population-based NutriNet-Sante study. Obesity 24(5):1154–1161. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21440

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Madden CE, Leong SL, Gray A, Horwath CC (2012) Eating in response to hunger and satiety signals is related to BMI in a nationwide sample of 1601 mid-age New Zealand women. Public Health Nutr 15(12):2272–2279. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980012000882

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Rocks T, Pelly F, Slater G, Martin LA (2017) Prevalence of exercise addiction symptomology and disordered eating in Australian students studying nutrition and dietetics. J Acad Nutr Diet 117(10):1628–1636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2017.04.001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. van Strien T, Herman CP, Verheijden MW (2009) Eating style, overeating, and overweight in a representative Dutch sample. Does external eating play a role? Appetite 52(2):380–387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2008.11.010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Duarte C, Pinto-Gouveia J (2015) Returning to emotional eating: the emotional eating scale psychometric properties and associations with body image flexibility and binge eating. Eat Weight Disord 20(4):497–504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-015-0186-z

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Anderson LM, Reilly EE, Schaumberg K, Dmochowski S, Anderson DA (2016) Contributions of mindful eating, intuitive eating, and restraint to BMI, disordered eating, and meal consumption in college students. Eat Weight Disord 21(1):83–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-015-0210-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Camilleri GM, Mejean C, Bellisle F et al (2017) Intuitive eating dimensions were differently associated with food intake in the general population-based NutriNet-Sante study. J Nutr 147(1):61–69. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.234088

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Gheller BJ, Joy P, Lordly D (2018) A qualitative study exploring the experience of the male dietitian from student to professional. Can J Diet Pract Res 79(2):55–59. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2018-003

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Ruzanska UA, Warschburger P (2019) Intuitive eating mediates the relationship between self-regulation and BMI—results from a cross-sectional study in a community sample. Eat Behav 33:23–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2019.02.004

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Spencer EA, Appleby PN, Davey GK, Key TJ (2002) Validity of self-reported height and weight in 4808 EPIC-Oxford participants. Public Health Nutr 5(4):561–565. https://doi.org/10.1079/phn2001322

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Bugra Onem, Muhammed Ali Savk, Hale Engin, Merve Nur Uysal, and Helin Nayman for their help with data collection. We are also grateful to all the participants who took part in this study.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erciyes University, Melikgazi, Kayseri, 38039, Turkey

    Zeynep Caferoglu & Hilal Toklu

Authors
  1. Zeynep Caferoglu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hilal Toklu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

ZC designed the research protocol; conducted the research and statistical analysis; prepared the manuscript and had primary responsibility for the final content. HT contributed to the planning and management of the study, and contributed to the manuscript writing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zeynep Caferoglu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and this study has been approved by the Erciyes University Social and Humanities Science Ethics Committee.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all participants electronically.

Consent for publication

All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Caferoglu, Z., Toklu, H. Intuitive eating: associations with body weight status and eating attitudes in dietetic majors. Eat Weight Disord 27, 683–692 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01206-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-021-01206-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation