Differences in Food Susceptibility Between High and Low Intuitive Eaters

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Intuitive eating (IE) is a pattern of adaptive eating behaviors that consists of four facets: Unconditional Permission to Eat (PERM), Eating for Physical Rather than Emotional Reasons (PHYS), Reliance on Hunger and Satiety Cues (REL), and Body-Food Choice Congruence (CON). The objective of this study was to observe differences in self-reported susceptibility to highly palatable foods between individuals high and low in intuitive eating. Methods 66 adults (70% female; 77% white; age 46 ± 12; BMI 36.3 ± 6.5 kg/m2) with overweight/obesity enrolled in a behavioral weight loss trial participated in the study. Measures were collected at baseline assessments or at the initial treatment session via self-report scales. Intuitive eating was measured with the Intuitive Eating Scale-2, which includes a total score and four subscale scores: PERM, CON, REL, and PHYS. Food susceptibility was measured with the Power of Food Scale. BMI was objectively measured and calculated as kg/m2. Covariates included age, sex, race, education, and BMI. Individuals were grouped as high IE (≥75th percentile) and low IE (≤25th percentile) for total and subscale scores. Data were analyzed with Analyses of Covariance. Results Overall, high IE individuals displayed less food susceptibility (M = 40.1 ± 12.3) – as observed by lower PFS scores – than low IE individuals (M = 66.1 ± 13.7, F(1,31) = 30.56, P < .001). This pattern was true for three of the four IE subscales: PHYS; Eating for Physical vs. Emotional Reasons (F(1,31) = 7.878, P = .009), REL; Reliance on Hunger and Satiety Cues (F(1,39) = 22.99, P < .001), and CON; Body-Food Choice Congruence (F(1,23) = 6.001, P = .022). However, there were no differences in PFS scores between individuals high (M = 55.82 ± 18.64) and low (M = 51.87 ± 18.90) in Unconditional Permission to Eat (PERM; F(1,21) = .269, P = .610). Conclusions In adults with overweight/obesity, individuals who displayed higher levels of IE generally reported less susceptibility to hyper-palatable foods, which may be congruent with improved health. Upon observation of the IE subscales, this was not true for Unconditional Permission to Eat. Surprisingly, there were no differences in food susceptibility between those who report giving themselves more or less permission to eat freely. Funding Sources K23DK103941.