Associations between intuitive eating and health behaviors and physical health in U.S. adults

Intuitive eating is a non-diet approach that emphasizes eating in response to hunger and fullness cues that has potential as a sustainable health promotion framework. Although research demonstrates that intuitive eating is strongly associated with psychological health, less is known about its associations with health behaviors and physical health. We examined how intuitive eating related to lifestyle behaviors and chronic disease diagnosis in a large, diverse U.S. adult sample. Adults aged ≥ 18 years residing in the U.S. were recruited from CloudResearch's Connect platform to complete a cross-sectional online survey on self-reported stress, health behaviors, and current or previous chronic health conditions. Regression models adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity were conducted. Our sample (N = 1057; M_age = 36 ± 11 years) was 52% female and diverse across race/ethnicity (13% Asian/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 21% Black, 18% Latine, 58% White) and socioeconomic status (e.g., 30% food insecure). Higher intuitive eating scores were associated with greater physical activity (p = .01), more sleep (p < .001), and self-reported health (p < .001) and lower self-reported stress (p < .001). Intuitive eating was not significantly associated with fruit/vegetable intake or substance use. However, it was associated with lower odds of current or previous hypertension (p < .001), hyperlipidemia (p < .001), and type 2 diabetes (p = .01), with small to moderate effects. Findings suggest that intuitive eating is not only associated with psychological health, but also health-promoting behaviors and reduced odds of cardiometabolic conditions. Although longitudinal and intervention studies are needed, results highlight intuitive eating as a promising framework for chronic disease prevention and health promotion.