Opinion: Beyond the scale: Embracing intuitive eating

Jaime Gnau

Worksite wellness programs often emphasize weight loss, which tends to yield short-term results. Many weight-loss programs are restrictive in nature, and research indicates that restriction is ineffective long term. Evidence suggests quick weight-loss methods are more harmful to health than not dieting at all. 

So, what kind of programs should be offered by employers? One evidence-based approach comes to mind. It promotes developing a positive relationship with food and a respectful relationship with one’s body. 

Have you heard of intuitive eating? Some think it means eating whatever you want, when you want, but that misses the point of this insightful paradigm. IE is a holistic, nondiet approach to health that emphasizes well-being rather than body weight. It shifts the focus from weight as a health measure to awareness of internal cues, offering tools to adopt habits that reduce health risks and enhance quality of life.

What is intuitive eating?
IE is a self-care approach that integrates instinct, emotion and rational thinking related to food choices. It was developed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995. This weight-inclusive, evidence-based model is supported by more than 100 studies. Research shows that IE promotes a healthier relationship with food, improves body image, reduces disordered eating and is linked to better emotional regulation and quality of life. 

By fostering self-compassion and mindfulness, IE offers sustainable health benefits, such as improved life satisfaction, motivation to exercise, objective health indicators and dietary intake. The 10 principles of IE, and their rationales, are as follows:

1. Reject the diet mentality highlights the drawbacks of traditional dieting, emphasizing that restrictive eating often leads to weight gain and negatively affects both physical and mental well-being. It encourages exploring healthier, more sustainable eating habits and breaking the vicious cycle of the dieter’s dilemma – desiring to lose weight/be thinner, starting a diet, losing control over the diet and overeating, and regaining lost weight.
2. Honor your hunger focuses on recognizing individual hunger signals and encourages listening to your body’s needs for a natural and satisfying eating experience.
3. Make peace with food emphasizes giving yourself unconditional permission to eat, fostering a positive relationship with food free from guilt and restrictions.
4. Challenge the food police encourages questioning internalized food rules that negatively affect your relationship with food. It promotes examining these beliefs to develop a healthier connection with eating and body image.
5. Discover the satisfaction factor highlights the importance of enjoying food and finding satisfaction in every meal mindfully, free from judgment or guilt that often accompanies dieting.
6. Feel your fullness emphasizes recognizing fullness cues and encourages mindful eating to enjoy food in moderation and prevent overeating.
7. Cope with your emotions with kindness examines the link between emotions and eating, urging individuals to identify emotional eating patterns and explore healthier coping strategies.
8. Respect your body promotes treating your body with kindness and appreciation, fostering self-acceptance and gratitude for its capabilities.
9. Movement – feel the difference redefines exercise as a joyful activity rather than a punishment, encouraging enjoyable physical activities over calorie burning.
10. Honor your health with gentle nutrition advocates for a balanced, compassionate approach to nutrition, nurturing a supportive relationship with food and recognizing individual health journeys.

We have implemented an IE employee wellness program at Missouri State University to support healthful lifestyle changes more holistically. This 10-week online program offered through Microsoft Teams explores the core principles of IE through videos, activities and discussion prompts. Creating a safe space for sharing is essential due to the sensitive nature of food and body image relationships.

The feedback for this program has been positive. One participant commented, “[The program] was more than what I expected when I signed up … it has made me more confident as a person overall, has made me appreciate myself more and helped me with some of my perspectives about food.” Another said, “This program has changed my life. I don’t feel like I’m a prisoner or food is imprisoned and I can’t get to it. I’m free to make food choices that affect me.” 

If a full program based on IE principles is not feasible, a weekly book club is a great way to show support for employee wellness. The newest edition is “Intuitive Eating,” 4th Edition, available to purchase on Amazon.

Jaime Gnau is a registered dietitian nutritionist and clinical assistant professor for the School of Health Sciences at Missouri State University. She can be reached at jaimegnau@missouristate.edu.