Intuitive Eating: The Anti-Diet Movement That Promotes Healthy Relationship with Food
The struggle to lose weight and keep it off is a familiar one for many. But what if the answer to achieving a healthy weight was not through dieting, but through a new approach to eating? This is the premise of intuitive eating, a concept invented by American nutritionists Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995.
Intuitive eating is the cornerstone of the “anti-diet” movement, which posits that diets do not work and often lead to weight gain in the long run. The approach is based on 10 basic principles, all predominantly psychological in nature, that aim to heal our relationship with food and promote a healthier way of eating.
The principles of intuitive eating include honoring hunger and satiety cues, making peace with food, challenging negative thoughts about food, embracing the pleasure of eating, and respecting the body. The approach encourages people to abandon restrictive diets and focus on enjoying food in a way that is satisfying and nourishing.
Ilaria Prandoni, a biologist and nutritionist, explains that intuitive eating is a way to approach food in a healthier way and without mental constructs that deviate or hinder. “Eating is a biological need, but eating behavior is not just biological. It is influenced by many factors: hormonal, genetic, religious beliefs, behaviors, and environment,” she says.
While intuitive eating offers a new way of approaching food, Prandoni emphasizes the importance of nutritional education in the process. “Especially at the beginning, leaving patients alone to apply these principles can lead to very varied results. People need to learn to familiarize themselves with some principles of nutrition and understand how the various elements interact in our body,” she says.
However, intuitive eating is not a method for weight loss, and its effectiveness in this regard is not consistently supported by studies. Prandoni suggests that it can be used to improve the ability to perceive hunger and satiety signals, as well as reduce emotional eating. “By applying one principle at a time, you will be able to find harmony with food,” she adds.
In a world where the number of dieters continues to grow alongside the number of overweight people, intuitive eating offers a refreshing and potentially transformative approach to achieving a healthy relationship with food. As the movement gains momentum, it may just hold the key to breaking the cycle of yo-yo dieting and promoting long-term wellness.