- Intuitive eating can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- A new study links intuitive eating to better sleep, more physical activity and less stress.
- This approach to eating focuses on hunger and fullness cues, not rigid eating rules.
When you talk about healthy eating, you may think of some oft-touted food “rules”: eat more of this, less of that, count calories, eat more protein, avoid these ingredients, etc. But what if one of the most effective approaches to healthy eating was less about following rules and more about paying attention to your body?
This approach is called intuitive eating, which involves paying attention to your body’s internal hunger and fullness signals instead of following external dietary guidelines.
New research published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine suggests that the benefits of intuitive eating can extend far beyond your relationship with food. The research team found that higher intuitive eating scores were associated with significantly lower risks of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, better sleep and more physical activity. Here’s what the researchers found.
How was the study conducted?
Researchers recruited 1,057 U.S. adults through an online survey platform and collected data on a wide range of behaviors and health conditions. Participants completed the Intuitive Eating Scale (IES-3), a measure of intuitive eating that examines the regularity with which a person eats in response to internal cues of hunger and fullness rather than external rules, emotional cues, or environmental triggers.
The survey assessed physical activity levels using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, weekday sleep duration, stress levels over the past two weeks, daily fruit and vegetable consumption, substance use (alcohol, tobacco and marijuana), self-rated general health and food security. Participants also indicated whether they were currently or previously diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes.
What did the study reveal?
Higher intuitive eating scores were associated with a range of positive health outcomes, including:
- Each one-unit increase in intuitive eating score was associated with a lower risk of hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
- More intuitive eating was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
- People with higher intuitive eating scores were more likely to get at least seven hours of sleep on weeknights.
- More intuitive eating was associated with increased physical activity levels.
- More intuitive eating was associated with lower levels of perceived stress.
Boundaries
This was a cross-sectional study, so all data was collected at one time point. The design makes it impossible to establish causality or determine whether intuitive eating habits or health outcomes take priority. Therefore, it is possible that people who are already healthier find it easier to eat intuitively, rather than eating intuitively, leading to better health.
All data was self-reported, including health condition diagnoses, meaning some participants may have misremembered some of their responses. The online recruitment method may also have introduced selection bias as participants required internet access and willingness to participate in a health survey.
How does this apply to real life?
If you’re curious about how to incorporate intuitive eating into your life, here are some helpful tips:
- Notice the hunger before you are hungry. One of the core principles of intuitive eating is to eat when you’re moderately hungry rather than waiting until you’re hungry, which can lead to overeating.
- Check in during meals. For many people, the default is to eat all the food on their plate. Instead, take a break mid-meal and pay attention to how full you feel.
- Don’t feel guilty about your food choices. Intuitive eating research suggests that rigid eating rules and a diet mentality are associated with increased stress and may worsen psychological consequences.
If you want to explore this approach in depth, working with a registered dietitian trained in intuitive eating can help you apply the framework in a way that aligns with your health goals.
Our expert opinion
A new study of more than 1,000 U.S. adults found that higher intuitive eating scores were associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as better sleep, more physical activity and lower stress levels. Although the study design does not allow causality to be established, the results suggest that intuitive eating (focusing on internal cues of hunger and fullness rather than external eating rules) may promote overall health.
Gn Health
