This 2021 study investigated the relationship between intuitive eating (eating according to internal hunger and satiety cues), psychological health outcomes and disordered eating behaviors. Data was retrieved from the Eating and Activity over Time 2010-2018 study, which followed 1491 participants from adolescence into young adulthood, monitoring their intuitive eating, psychological health, and eating behaviors. Higher intuitive eating at baseline and rise in intuitive eating from baseline to follow-up (after 8 years) were associated with lower risk of highly depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, high body dissatisfaction, unhealthy weight control behaviors (like fasting and skipping meals), extreme weight control behaviors (taking diet pills and vomiting), and binge eating at 8-year follow-up. Hazzard et al. also discovered that the protective associations for binge eating were especially strong: a 1-point higher intuitive eating score at baseline correlated with 74% lower odds of binge eating at follow-up. Furthermore, a 1-point higher increase in intuitive eating score from baseline to follow-up was linked with a 71% reduction in risk of binge-eating at follow-up. Thus, it was concluded that interventions that target people’s intuitive eating may enhance psychological health and reduce disordered eating behaviors, particularly binge-eating. Importantly, the results indicate that intuitive eating predicts better psychological and behavioral health across a range of outcomes.
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