Eating Disorder Recovery Research Articles

Can adolescents with eating disorders be treated in primary care? A retrospective clinical cohort study

BackgroundFamily-Based Treatment (FBT) is considered the first-line intervention for adolescent anorexia nervosa. However, access to this treatment is limited. Treatment programs for other pediatric mental health conditions have successfully overcome barriers to accessing evidence-based intervention by integrating mental health services into primary care. This study evaluated the proof-of-concept of a novel modification of FBT, Family-Based Treatment for Primary Care (FBT-PC) for adolescent restrictive eating disorders designed for delivery by primary care providers in their practices.MethodsThis retrospective clinical cohort study evaluated 15 adolescents with restrictive eating disorders receiving FBT-PC and 15 adolescents receiving standard FBT. We examined improvement in BMI percentile, reduction in weight suppression, and clinical benchmarks of eating disorder recovery including weight restoration to > 95% of expected body weight (EBW) and resolution of DSM-5 criteria for eating disorders.ResultsIn both groups, effect sizes for increased BMI percentile exceeded Cohen’s convention for a large effect (FBT-PC: d = .94; standard FBT: d = 1.15) as did effect sizes for reduction in weight suppression (FBT-PC: d = 1.83; standard FBT: d = 1.21). At the end of treatment, 80% of the FBT-PC cohort and 87% in the standard FBT group achieved > 95%EBW and 67% in the FBT-PC group and 60% in the standard FBT group no longer met DSM-5 criteria for an eating disorder. There were no cohort differences in the number of treatment drop-outs or referrals to a more intensive level of eating disorder treatment.ConclusionsFindings suggest that primary care providers have potential to improve weight and clinical status in adolescents with restrictive eating disorders. Based on these results, more rigorous testing of the FBT-PC model is warranted.

Quels facteurs expliquent la durée d’hospitalisation pour anorexie mentale: revue systématique de la littérature

ObjectivesThe cost of hospital treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) is very high given its duration. Identifying factors related to length of hospital stay (LOS) would make it possible to consider targeted therapeutic strategies that, by optimizing care, would reduce their duration and costs. The objective of this work is to identify the factors related (predictive and associated) to LOS for AN. MethodsSystematic review of existing literature up to October 2020, based on Pubmed, according to PRISMA recommendations (Preferred Reported Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis). Factors related to LOS have been described in two categories: factors related to clinical aspects ; and factors related to therapeutic aspects and management modalities. We distinguished predictive factors (identified as pre-hospitalization or contemporaneous with hospital admission) and associated factors (observed during hospitalization) for each category. ResultsThirteen articles were selected. Samples from the selected studies ranged from 35 to 381 subjects, mostly women with restrictive type AN (R-AN), but some samples included all types of AN, or focused on purging-type forms. The mean age at admission ranged from 13.6 years (Standard Deviation–SD:±1.6) to 30.3 years (SD :±13.9), corresponding to adolescent, adult or mixed samples. Mean body mass indices at admission ranged from 12.3 (SD±1.4) to 16.6 (SD:±2.1). The duration of disease progression ranged from 11.7 months±2.2 to 9.7 years. Mean LOS are short for studies conducted in pediatrics or in medical services (ranging from 13.0 days [SD±7.3] to 22.1 days [SD±9.4]); they are more variable for studies conducted in psychiatry: from 15.6 days (SD±1.0) to 150.2 days (SD±80.8). Among the factors related to an increase in LOS, clinical predictors included: older age at onset or admission; longer duration of the disorder; low minimum body weight during AN; low BMI at admission; purgative form of anorexia nervosa; and high levels of dietary symptoms (asceticism and ineffectiveness dimensions on Eating Disorder Inventory-2). Therapeutic and management modality predictive factors were: a higher number of hospitalizations for AN; the use of enteral nutrition (nasogastric or percutaneous gastric tube) on admission or during hospitalization; the use of intravenous renutrition coupled with oral renutrition; hospitalization far from the patient's home; absence of hospital care in psychiatry after medical stabilization in a somatic unit; compulsory hospitalization. Associated factors were: the presence of psychiatric comorbidities; greater weight gain during hospitalization. Among the factors related to a decrease in LOS, the clinical predictive factor were: greater self-confidence at admission (measured by the Eating Disorder Recovery Self-Efficacy Questionnaire). Therapeutic and management modality predictors included: increased caloric intake of oral renutrition on admission; intake of oral nutritional supplements on admission; and hospitalization in urban areas. The associated factor was: compliance with the weight contract in the adolescent population. DiscussionFactors related to an increase in LOS are explained by: higher resistance to treatment, higher severity of the disease, the time required for weight gain in services using cognitive-behavioural therapy, complications associated with renutrition modalities such as parenteral renutrition, difficulties in organising outpatient follow-up which require better consolidation of inpatient treatment and the lack of multidisciplinary care in medical services. Factors related to a decrease in LOS are due to: faster weight gain, the presence of a greater number of outpatient follow-up structures close to the hospital and better adherence to treatment to complete the weight contract. ConclusionsTaking these factors into account during hospitalization for AN would help optimize care, duration and costs. This situation therefore requires the development of therapeutic trials targeting the identified factors in order to reduce LOS in the treatment of AN.

The weight of expectations

The weight of expectations

The 17-year outcome of 62 adult patients with longstanding eating disorders-A prospective study.

Although studies with short and intermediate observation time suggest favorable outcomes in regard to eating disorders (ED), there is limited knowledge on long-term outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate the 5- and 17-year outcome of adult patients with longstanding ED who were previously admitted to an inpatient ED unit. ED diagnoses and recovery, comorbid and general psychopathology, along with psychosocial functioning and quality of life were evaluated. Sixty-two of the 80 living patients (78% response rate) with anorexia nervosa (n = 23), bulimia nervosa (n = 25), or other specified feeding or eating disorders (n = 14) at admission were evaluated. The mean age at the 17-year follow-up point was 46.2 (SD 7.5). The Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) was used to assess recovery. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) and self-report instruments provided additional information. There was a significant reduction in patients fulfilling criteria for an ED from the 5-year to the 17-year follow-up, meanwhile recovery rates were stable. A total of 29% of the patients were fully recovered and 21% were partially recovered while the remaining 50% had not recovered. No significant changes were found in any self-report measures and more than 70% had a comorbid disorder at both assessments. The findings illustrate the protracted nature of ED for adults with longstanding ED. A long illness duration prior to treatment is unfortunate and early detection and treatment is advisable.

Rehabilitation features of patients with stroke in the vertebro-basillary system depending on the pathogenetic subtype of stroke

Ischemic stroke is a serious medical and social issue due to deep and prolonged disability, as well as social maladjustment of patients. In this regard, the aim of the research was to study the influence of pathogenetic subtypes of ischemic stroke on the rehabilitation possibilities.
 Based on the presence of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) we divided all patients into 2 groups
 Patients with IS in VI (Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency) and COPD - 62 people (group I) - 29 men and 33 women aged 50 to 74 (59.8 ± 5.8). Patients with IS in VI - 64 people (group II). Of these, 31 are men and 33 are women aged 51 to 80 (62.4 ± 5.4). All patients received traditional treatment in the most acute and severe periods of IS, patients with COPD received and treatment for COPD simultaneously with traditional IS therapy. The Barthel index was used to assess the patient's self-care capabilities. The degree of disability after IS was studied using the Rankin scale. In patients of subgroup II b, by the end of the ED (Eating Disorders), the indicators of the Lindmark B scale for the patient's general mobility differed significantly from the baseline at the beginning of the ED (p = 0.44). At that time, in the II a subgroup, only the indicators of the B. Lindmark scale were reliable.
 In patients of subgroup II b, the difference in indicators at the beginning and at the end of ED was significant according to the Barthel index. Recovery in ED depends on many factors, including the subtype of IS, so the IS CE is the most severe, which is reflected in the Rankin scale. The timing and extent of patient recovery depends on the localization of the process, the subtype of IS, the presence of COPD, and the method of rehabilitation. Patients with the lacunar subtype, a single small or medium focus in the cerebellar hemispheres and midbrain recover most fully after complex rehabilitation.

Women, Exercise, and Eating Disorder Recovery: The Normal and the Pathological.

The appropriate form, regularity, and intensity of exercise for individuals recovering from eating disorders is not agreed upon among health care professionals or researchers. When exercise is permitted, it is that which is mindful, embodied, and non-competitive that is considered normative. Using Canguilhem’s concepts of “the normal and the pathological” as a theoretical frame, we examine the gendered assumptions that shape medical understandings of “healthy” and “dysfunctional” exercise in the context of recovery. The data set for this article comes from longitudinal semi-structured interviews with 19 women in the United Kingdom who engaged in weightlifting during their eating disorder recovery. We argue that women in recovery navigate multiple and conflicting value systems regarding exercise. Faced with aspects of exercise that are pathologized within the eating disorder literature (such as structure/routine, body transformations, and affect regulation), women re-inscribe positive value to these experiences, thus establishing exercise practices that serve them.

The Eating Disorders Recovery Questionnaire: psychometric properties and validity.

There is no standardized measurement of recovery from an eating disorder (ED). We examined the psychometric properties and construct validity of the "Eating Disorders Recovery Questionnaire" (EDRQ), which defines recovery beyond symptoms to include self-acceptance, social emotional and physical health. Twenty-eight recovery-related items were administered to 978 people (9.5% men) aged 18-76. 172 participants had a current ED diagnosis (AN, BN or BED), 104 had a past ED diagnosis (AN, BN, BED or > one diagnosis), 105 had another past or present ED, and 579 had no lifetime ED. Participants also completed the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire, Dresden Body Image Questionnaire-35, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Short Form, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Positive Eating Scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded four factors (CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.07): lack of symptomatic behavior, acceptance of self and body, social and emotional connection, and physical health. Group comparisons showed that currently ill women scored lower on EDRQ and positive indices and higher on negative indices than controls and previously ill women. Previously ill women scored similarly to controls on ED symptomatology, positive body experiences, depression, and positive and negative affect but had lower BMI, life satisfaction and positive eating. The EDRQ-EDEQ correlation was r = 0.67, indicating both overlap and distinct variance. The EDRQ is a valid, reliable measure of ED recovery, defined more broadly than symptom remission. We recommend its incorporation into a standardized operationalization of recovery and its use by consumers, carers and service providers to monitor ED recovery status. Level III, case-control analytic study.

99. In Eating Disorder Recovery: The Relationship Between Malnutrition and Symptoms of Anxiety/Depression in Youth With Restrictive Eating Disorders

Restrictive eating disorders (EDs) are often comorbid with other mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. However, their relationship with degree of malnutrition remains unclear. We set out to assess how malnutrition is associated with anxiety and depression in adolescents/young adults (AYAs) with EDs.

Reconceptualizing Recovery: Integrating Lived Experience Perspectives Into Traditional Eating Disorder Recovery Frameworks.

Eating disorder recovery has long been conceptualized as comprising the domains of weight, behaviors, and thoughts. Criteria for these domains are generally absolute (e.g., no specified behaviors in a set time frame) and determined by researchers and/or clinicians. This Open Forum draws on the knowledge of experts with lived experience to situate their perspectives against existing models of eating disorder recovery. Definitions of eating disorder recovery could be improved by deemphasizing a single weight target in recovery and acknowledging the nonlinear nature of thoughts and behaviors. The authors provide examples of ways that clinicians and researchers can integrate these improvements into their practice.

Recovering Uncertainty: Exploring Eating Disorder Recovery in Context.

Attending to the shades of grey in eating disorder recovery may help to illuminate possibilities for navigating recoveries in their full complexity and diversity. There is a need for more complexity and flexibility in understandings of the timelines, processes, endpoints, and versions of eating disorder recoveries. In this article, we explore eating disorder recovery as a dynamic, intercorporeal, and non-linear process. Drawing on interviews with 20 people doing significantly better than they were during a time of acute distress around food and body, we articulate "recoveries" in relation to four themes: Fuzzy Logics of Time, Not Only Recovered, Recovery is Not All Sunshine and Rainbows, and The Life of Recovery. These themes speak to the ways in which participants struggled to articulate the temporalities of their recoveries, situated recovery as one among many events and processes that shaped their being in the world, resisted "too perfect" articulations of recovery journeys/ endpoints, and described preferred versions of and open-ended guidelines for recovery. We argue that eating disorder recoveries are as complicated and messy as lives themselves and are equally entangled in social contexts. We suggest that articulations of recovery be attuned to power dynamics as they operate in dictating which performances of eating disorders and recovery will be honoured as "legitimate" and whose pathways to recovery will be respected.

"This is just how I cope": An inductive thematic analysis of eating disorder recovery content created and shared on TikTok using #EDrecovery.

To explore eating disorder (ED) recovery-related content created and shared on the social media platform TikTok. A systematic review and inductive thematic analysis of 150 TikTok posts catalogued under hashtag (#) EDrecovery. Two coders independently analyzed the posts and a critical peer facilitated discussions about the resulting codes and themes. Creators on TikTok used #EDrecovery to share their personal experiences with recovery through the use and cooption of popular (or viral) video formats, succinct storytelling, and the production of educational content. Five themes were interpreted across the data: (a) ED awareness, (b) inpatient story time: "ED unit tings", (c) eating in recovery, (d) transformations: "how about a weight gain glow up?", and (e) trendy gallows humor: "let's confuse people who have a good relationship with food". TikTok as a user-friendly, creative media may provide the artistic and social tools for some creators to add their distinct voice to the ED recovery narrative and foster some semblance of community. Although all of the analyzed content was catalogued under #EDrecovery, some of the posts reified the increasingly blurred boundary that exists between ED recovery and pro-ED content on TikTok.

Rehabilitation features of patients with stroke in the vertebro-basillary system depending on the pathogenetic subtype of stroke

Ischemic stroke is a serious medical and social issue due to deep and prolonged disability, as well as social maladjustment of patients. In this regard, the aim of the research was to study the influence of pathogenetic subtypes of ischemic stroke on the rehabilitation possibilities.
 Based on the presence of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) we divided all patients into 2 groups
 Patients with IS in VI (Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency) and COPD - 62 people (group I) - 29 men and 33 women aged 50 to 74 (59.8 ± 5.8). Patients with IS in VI - 64 people (group II). Of these, 31 are men and 33 are women aged 51 to 80 (62.4 ± 5.4). All patients received traditional treatment in the most acute and severe periods of IS, patients with COPD received and treatment for COPD simultaneously with traditional IS therapy. The Barthel index was used to assess the patient's self-care capabilities. The degree of disability after IS was studied using the Rankin scale. In patients of subgroup II b, by the end of the ED (Eating Disorders), the indicators of the Lindmark B scale for the patient's general mobility differed significantly from the baseline at the beginning of the ED (p = 0.44). At that time, in the II a subgroup, only the indicators of the B. Lindmark scale were reliable.
 In patients of subgroup II b, the difference in indicators at the beginning and at the end of ED was significant according to the Barthel index. Recovery in ED depends on many factors, including the subtype of IS, so the IS CE is the most severe, which is reflected in the Rankin scale. The timing and extent of patient recovery depends on the localization of the process, the subtype of IS, the presence of COPD, and the method of rehabilitation. Patients with the lacunar subtype, a single small or medium focus in the cerebellar hemispheres and midbrain recover most fully after complex rehabilitation.

The experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in professionally-led support groups

PurposeThe aim of the study is to explore the experience of eating disorder support group participants. The research question is “What is the experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in a professionally-led monthly support group?”Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study explored the experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in a professionally-led monthly support group. Participants were 18 adults recovering from an eating disorder who attended a monthly support group. The data were collected using an online anonymous survey and then analysed using a thematic analysis.FindingsThe main themes that emerged were: (1) sharing the pain and promise, (2) cautions and concerns and (3) facilitators have influence. The findings indicate that the support group provided a safe space to share their lived experience, that it reduced stigma and isolation, and improved participants' motivation and engagement. Moreover, the results revealed some challenges to the functioning of the group. These included management of discussions and dominant members, need for psycho-educational information and managing intense feelings, relating to body-related comparison and other mental disorder comorbidities.Originality/valueThis is the first study highlighting the valuable role of the facilitator in balancing content with compassion, in ensuring safety in the group, and potentially fulfilling a valuable education function in supporting participants in their eating disorder recovery journey.

#gainingweightiscool: the use of transformation photos on Instagram among female weightlifters in recovery from eating disorders

ABSTRACT In this article, we explore transformation photos on Instagram as ‘digital artefacts’ that can inform understandings of eating disorder recovery in the context of sport, exercise and health. Transformation photos are two images (from different time points) set alongside one another to represent the changing of bodies in look, shape or size. These images are prevalent within eating disorder recovery and fitness spaces on Instagram and typically display an individual’s recovery journey through a before (thin) and after (more muscular) image comparison. By triangulating interview, photo elicitation and netnography data from research on female weightlifting as a tool for recovery from eating disorders, we explore transformation photos in relation to three intersecting themes; 1) new modes of ‘becoming’, 2) representation and ‘mediated memories’, and finally, 3) survivorship and identity. Our findings demonstrate that transformation photos are integral to the process and practice of recovery for women who use weightlifting as a tool for recovery from eating disorders. Moreover, we suggest that by engaging with a popular mimetic device (transformation photos), we were able to ‘meet participants where they are’ and offer a novel qualitative approach to understanding how digitally mediated lives are lived.

Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and UK lockdown on individuals with experience of eating disorders

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may raise unique challenges for individuals with experience of eating disorders. Many factors have potential for detrimental impacts on psychological wellbeing and eating disorder recovery, including: Disruption to living situations, ‘social distancing’ restrictions, difficult access to healthcare, and societal changes to food behaviours and technology usage. To date, little is known on the impact of the pandemic on this population, particularly within the UK.MethodA mixed-methods online survey was developed for the purpose of this study. Data was collected from 129 individuals currently experiencing, or in recovery from, an eating disorder during the early stages of the UK pandemic lockdown. Participants were aged between 16 and 65 years, with 121 participants identifying as female, 7 male and 1 participant preferring not to disclose their gender.ResultsFindings suggest that the pandemic is having a profound, negative impact upon individuals with experience of eating disorders. Eight key themes were generated: Disruption to living situation, increased social isolation and reduced access to usual support networks, changes to physical activity rates, reduced access to healthcare services, disruption to routine and perceived control, changes to relationship with food, increased exposure to triggering messages, and positive outcomes. The results suggest detrimental impacts on psychological wellbeing including decreased feelings of control, increased feelings of social isolation, increased rumination about disordered eating, and low feelings of social support.ConclusionsIndividuals with eating disorders are at significant risk of negative impacts of the pandemic. There is a vital need for interventions to support this population. Inequalities in healthcare provision were identified, emphasising a need for a more cohesive approach to remote treatment across UK healthcare services. Positive aspects of technology use were identified but the results suggest a need to address and/or limit the potential for negative impacts of public messages around food and exercise behaviours, and to co-design technologies with end-users to facilitate effective treatment.

The eating disorder recovery assemblage: Collectively generating possibilities for eating disorder recovery

In this paper, we explore the affective-discursive-material aspects of the supportive eating disorder recovery assemblage. We approach recovery as an “assemblage” to facilitate an understanding of how human (people, systems of care, etc.) and nonhuman (affect, discourses, etc.) forces generate possibilities or impossibilities for recovery. Moving away from framings of recovery as an individual achievement, we consider the relationality and dynamism of eating disorder recovery in interviews with 20 people in recovery and 14 supporters of people in recovery. We draw from experiential accounts to theorize a supportive eating disorder recovery assemblage in relation to trust and love mobilized in interactions and relationships. This supportive eating disorder recovery assemblage can scaffold new understandings of recoveries as multiple and co-produced. Supportive eating disorder recovery assemblages generate improvisational spaces, albeit loosely contained and bounded, for different pathways to and manifestations of “recoveries”. This work builds on a body of feminist scholarship on eating disorders/disordered eating that takes up gendered relationships of power in treatment settings, extending toward and analysing material, affective, embodied, and potentially affirming dimensions of care and emotion in participants’ lives.

Why I recovered: A qualitative investigation of factors promoting motivation for eating disorder recovery.

It is difficult for individuals with eating disorders (EDs) to build and maintain motivation to recover. This challenge contributes to high rates of treatment dropout and relapse. To date, motivational interventions have been largely ineffective, and there is little research on factors that affect recovery motivation. To better understand recovery motivation and identify potential intervention targets, this study examines factors that affect recovery motivation in individuals with EDs. N = 13 participants completed qualitative interviews. All had been recovered from their diagnosed and treated ED for at least 1 year. We applied thematic analysis to interview transcripts in order to identify factors that had influenced recovery motivation and to classify their effects as helpful, harmful, or mixed. Six main themes were identified, with subthemes detailed under each: (a) important people and groups (e.g., social circle, mentor), (b) actions and attitudes of others (e.g., judgmental responses, failure to intervene), (c) treatment-related factors (e.g., therapeutic skills, therapeutic alliance), (d) influential circumstances (e.g., removing triggers, pregnancy/children), (e) personal feelings and beliefs (e.g., obligation to others, hope for the future), and (f) the role of epiphanies (i.e., sudden insights or moments of change). In this study, we identified potentially malleable factors that may affect ED recovery motivation (e.g., removing triggers, focusing on obligation to others, getting involved in meaningful causes, securing non-judgmental support, building hope for the future). These factors may be investigated as potential targets or strategies in motivational interventions for EDs.

Eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine: an overview of risks and recommendations for treatment and early intervention

ABSTRACT Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) are at significant risk for increases in symptomatology and diminished treatment access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Environmental precautions to limit coronavirus spread have affected food availability and access to healthy coping mechanisms, and have contributed to weight-stigmatizing social media messages that may be uniquely harmful to those experiencing EDs. Additionally, changes in socialization and routine, stress, and experiences of trauma that are being experienced globally may be particularly deleterious to ED risk and recovery. This paper presents a brief review of the pertinent literature related to the risk of EDs in the context of COVID-19 and offers suggestions for modifying intervention efforts to accommodate the unique challenges individuals with EDs and providers may be experiencing in light of the ongoing public health crisis.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorder risk and symptoms.

The current COVID‐19 pandemic has created a global context likely to increase eating disorder (ED) risk and symptoms, decrease factors that protect against EDs, and exacerbate barriers to care. Three pathways exist by which this pandemic may exacerbate ED risk. One, the disruptions to daily routines and constraints to outdoor activities may increase weight and shape concerns, and negatively impact eating, exercise, and sleeping patterns, which may in turn increase ED risk and symptoms. Relatedly, the pandemic and accompanying social restrictions may deprive individuals of social support and adaptive coping strategies, thereby potentially elevating ED risk and symptoms by removing protective factors. Two, increased exposure to ED‐specific or anxiety‐provoking media, as well as increased reliance on video conferencing, may increase ED risk and symptoms. Three, fears of contagion may increase ED symptoms specifically related to health concerns, or by the pursuit of restrictive diets focused on increasing immunity. In addition, elevated rates of stress and negative affect due to the pandemic and social isolation may also contribute to increasing risk. Evaluating and assessing these factors are key to better understanding the impact of the pandemic on ED risk and recovery and to inform resource dissemination and targets.

Examining the Relationship Between Intuitive Eating and Diet Quality Among College Students

Abstract Objectives College students in the US tend to have low diet quality due to a confluence of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and environmental factors. Restrictive dieting is commonly used for weight management but often ineffective in the long term and can lead to dangerous eating behaviors. Intuitive eating is an adaptive form of eating that has gained interest as an alternative to restrictive dieting due to its successful use in eating disorder recovery and correlation with decreased body mass index in healthy populations. The objective of the current study was to identify if higher intuitive eating, as measured by the intuitive eating scale (IES-2), correlated with increased diet quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) in a college sample. Methods In this cross-sectional study, participants completed an online survey containing the IES-2 questionnaire which provides a total score for intuitive eating and four subscale scores representing the main behaviors of intuitive eating. The dietary intake of participants was assessed with up to three 24-hour diet recalls, which were completed over the phone. A total of 55 participants (40 females and 15 males) completed the survey and a minimum of two 24-hour diet recalls, which were used to calculate the HEI-2015. Independent sample t-test and Pearson's correlation were used for statistical analysis. Results The total IES-2 scores were higher for males than females (82.9 ± 8.1 vs. 76.3 ± 11.2, P = 0.04). The average total HEI-2015 score was 59.5 ± 15.1 and did not differ between gender (P = 0.93). The total IES-2 score was not significantly correlated with the total HEI scores (r = −0.218, P = 0.11), and one subscale of the IES-2, the Unconditional Permission to Eat subscale, was negatively correlated with the total HEI score (r = −0.418, P < 0.01) and BMI (r = −0.335, P < 0.05). Conclusions The results of the study do not support that intuitive eating is correlated with diet quality, furthermore, increased scores of the Unconditional Permission to Eat subscale of intuitive eating was correlated with a lower diet quality suggesting that intuitive eating and diet quality may be separate constructs that should be addressed individually. Funding Sources None.