The Relationship between Intuitive Eating and Health Indicators among College Women

Abstract

Epidemic levels of obesity represent a growing public health problem associated with a variety of negative health outcomes. Population level interventions that aim to moderate obesigenic environments have been proposed but remain largely unimplemented. Standard individual level interventions that focus on dietary restraint have been ineffective and in some cases harmful. Intuitive eating, an anti-dieting strategy that relies on recognizing and responding to internal hunger and satiation cues, has been proposed as an alternative approach to healthy weight management at the individual level—but it remains largely untested. This study evaluated the relationship between intuitive eating and various health indicators among female college students. As measured by the Intuitive Eating Scale (IES), it was found that intuitive eating was significantly correlated with lower body mass index (r = -.576), lower triglyceride levels (r = -.408), higher levels of high density lipoproteins (.437), and improved cardiovascular risk (r = .425). Findings provide tentative support for intuitive eating as a positive approach to healthy weight management at the individual level. Implications and future research needs are discussed.