Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Are anthropometric measurements an indicator of intuitive and mindful eating?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Intuitive eating and mindful eating are new approach eating behaviors. Assessing the relationship of some anthropometric measurements to intuitive eating and mindful eating.

Methods

Cross-sectional descriptive study. Adults aged 19–45 living in the center of Ankara the capital of Turkey. 250 volunteers (68 men and 182 women) aged 19–45 years. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire contained the Intuitive Eating Scale (IES-2), Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ-30) and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Anthropometric measurements were performed by the researchers themselves. Between-group analyses were performed to test statistical differences and relationships.

Results

There was a positive correlation between IES-2 and MEQ-30 scores (r = 0.477; p = 0.000), indicating that the higher the IES-2 scores, the higher the MEQ-30 scores. IES-2 scores and BMI were negatively correlated (p < 0.05) and also MEQ-30 scores were negatively correlated with waist-to-height ratio and BMI (r = − 0.143; p = 0.024, r = − 0.159; p = 0.012). The higher the “disinhibition” and “control of eating,” the lower the body weight, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and BMI was found.

Conclusions

It was concluded that the more the intuitive eating, the more the mindful eating. And also it is suggested that anthropometric measurements might be an indicator of intuitive eating and mindful eating.

Level of Evidence

Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

IES-2:

Intuitive eating scale

MEQ-30:

Mindful eating questionnaire

EAT-26:

Eating attitudes test

BMI:

Body mass index

SPSS:

Statistical package for social sciences

UPE:

Unconditional permission to eat

EPR:

Eating for physical rather than emotional reasons

RHSC:

Reliance on hunger and satiety cues

B-FCC:

Body-food choice congruence

References

  1. Karakuş SŞ, Yıldırım H, Büyüköztürk Ş (2016) Üç faktörlü yeme ölçeğinin Türk kültürüne uyarlanması: geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. (Adaptation of three factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ-R21) into Turkish culture: a validity and reliability study). TAF Prev Med Bull 15:229–237. https://doi.org/10.5455/pmb.1-1446540396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Van Strien T, Cebolla A, Etchemendy E, Gutiérrez-Maldonado J, Ferrer-García M, Botella C (2013) Emotional eating and food intake after sadness and joy. Appetite 66:20–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2013.02.016

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Serin Y, Şanlıer N (2018) Duygusal yeme, besin alımını etkileyen faktörler ve temel hemşirelik yaklaşımları. (Emotional eating, the factors that affect food intake, and basic approaches to nursing care of patients with eating disorders). J Psychiatric Nurs 9:135–146. https://doi.org/10.14744/phd.2018.23600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Oliver G, Wardle J, Gibson EL (2000) Stress and food choice: a laboratory study. Psychosom Med 62:853–865. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-200011000-00016

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Macht M (2008) How emotions affect eating: a five-way model. Appetite 50:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2007.07.002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. The National Eating Disorders Collaboration (2012) Clarity in complexity: Strategic communication to support the prevention and early identification of eating disorders. National Eating Disorder Collaboration, New South Wales

    Google Scholar 

  7. Baer RA, Fischer S, Huss DB (2005) Mindfulness and acceptance in the treatment of disordered eating. J Rational-Emot Cognitive-Behav Ther 23:281–299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-005-0015-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Konttinen H, Haukkala A, Sarlio-Lahteenkorva S, Silventoinen K, Jousilahti P (2009) Eating styles, self-control and obesity indicators. The moderating role of obesity status and dieting history on restrained eating. Appetite 53:131–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2009.05.001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Tribole E, Resch E (2012) Intuitive eating: a revolutionary program that works, 3rd edn. St. Martin’s Griffin, New York

    Google Scholar 

  10. Van Dyke N, Drinkwater EJ (2014) Relationships between intuitive eating and health indicators: literature review. Public Health Nutr 17:1757–1766. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980013002139

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bruce LJ, Ricciardelli LA (2016) A systematic review of the psychosocial correlates of intuitive eating among adult women. Appetite 96:454–472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.10.012

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Dalen J, Smith BW, Shelley BM, Sloan AL, Leahigh L, Begay D (2010) Pilot study: mindful eating and living (MEAL): weight, eating behavior, and psychological outcomes associated with a mindfulness-based intervention for people with obesity. Complement Ther Med 18:260–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2010.09.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Tylka T (2006) Development and psychometric evaluation of a measure of intuitive eating. Journal of Counseling Psychology 53:226–240. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.2.226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gast J, Hawks SR (1998) Weight loss education: the challenge of a new paradigm. Health Educ Behav 25:464–473. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819802500405

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Schaefer JT, Magnuson AB (2014) A review of interventions that promote eating by internal cues. J Acad Nutr Diet 114:734–760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2013.12.024

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Wehling H, Lusher JM (2019) Cognitive and emotional ınfluences on eating behaviour: a qualitative perspective. Nutr Metab Insights 12:1–5. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178638819855936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Köse G, Tayfur M, Birincioğlu I, Dönmez A (2016) Adaptation study of the mindful eating questiionnare (MEQ) into Turkish. J Cognitive Behav Psychother Res 5:125–134

    Google Scholar 

  18. Anderson LM, Reilly EE, Schaumberg K, Dmochowski S, Anderson DA (2016) Contributions of mindful eating, intuitive eating, and restraint to BMI, disordered eating, and meal consumption in college students. Eat Weight Dis 21:83–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-015-0210-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Alberts HJ, Thewissen R, Raes L (2012) Dealing with problematic eating behaviour. The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings, dichotomous thinking and body image concern. Appetite 58:847–851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.01.009

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Maqbool A, Olsen I, Stallings VA (2008) Clinical assessment of nutritional status. In: Nutrition in pediatrics: basic science and clinical applications, 4th edn. BC Decker, Hamilton, ON, pp 6–7

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lohman TG, Roche AF, Martorell R (1988) Anthropometric standardization reference manual, 1st edn. Human kinetics books, Champaign

    Google Scholar 

  22. World Health Organization (2011) Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio report of a WHO expert consultation. Geneva.

  23. World Healty Organization. BMI classification (2019) https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/a-healthy-lifestyle/body-mass-index-bmi. Accessed 3 Oct 2019

  24. Tylka TL, Kroon Van Diest AM (2013) The intuitive eating scale-2: item refinement and psychometric evaluation with college women and men. J Couns Psychol 60:137–153. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030893

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Bas M, Karaca KE, Saglam D, Arıtıcı G, Cengiz E, Koksal S (2017) Turkish version of the intuitive eating scale-2: validity and reliability among university students. Appetite 114:391–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.04.017

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Madden CE, Leong SL, Gray A, Horwath CC (2012) Eating in response to hunger and satiety signals is related to BMI in a nationwide sample of 1601 mid-age New Zealand women. Publ Health Nutr 15:2272–2279. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980012000882

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Mason AE, Epel ES, Kristeller J, Moran PJ, Dallman M, Lustig RH (2016) Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on mindful eating, sweets consumption, and fasting glucose levels in obese adults: data from the SHINE randomized controlled trial. J Behav Med 39:201–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-015-9692-8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Baer RA, Smith GT, Hopkins J, Krietemeyer J, Toney L (2016) Using selfreport assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment 13:27–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191105283504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Savaşır I, Erol N (1989) Eating attitude test: anorexia nervosa symptoms index. Turkish J Psychol 23:19–25

    Google Scholar 

  30. Yılmaz D, Ayaz A, Demirel Büyüktuncer Z (2013) Kız üniversite öğrencilerinde yeme tutumunun kişisel beden imajı algısı ile ilişkisi. (Relation between eating attitudes and personal body ımage perception among female university students). J Nutr Dietetic 41:227–233

    Google Scholar 

  31. IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0. Corp, Armonk, NY, USA. 2013.

  32. Outland L (2010) Intuitive eating: a holistic approach to weight control. Holist Nurs Pract 24:35–43. https://doi.org/10.1097/HNP.0b013e3181c8e560

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Anderson DA, Schaumberg K, Anderson LM, Reilly EE (2015) Is level of intuitive eating associated with plate size effects? Eat Behav 18:125–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2015.05.005

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Dunn C, Haubenreiser M, Johnson M, Nordby K, Aggarwal S, Myer S (2018) Mindfulness approaches and weight loss, weight maintenance, and weight regain. Curr Obesity Rep 7:37–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-018-0299-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Tapper K (2017) Can mindfulness influence weight management related eating behaviors? If so, how? Clin Psychol Rev 53:122–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.03.003

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Denny KN, Loth K, Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D (2013) Intuitive eating in young adults. Who is doing it, and how is it related to disordered eating behaviors? Appetite 60:13–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.09.029

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Ruzanska UA, Warschburger P (2017) Psychometric evaluation of the German version of the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 in a community sample. Appetite 117:126–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.06.018

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Saunders JF, Nichols-Lopez KA, Frazier LD (2018) Psychometric properties of the intuitive eating scale-2 (IES-2) in a culturally diverse Hispanic American sample. Eat Behav 28:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.11.003

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Bourdier L, Orri M, Carre A, Gearhardt AN, Romo L, Dantzer C (2017) Are emotionally driven and addictive-like eating behaviors the missing links between psychological distress and greater body weight? Appetite 120:536–546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.10.013

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Levoy E, Lazaridou A, Brewer J, Fulwiler C (2017) An exploratory study of mindfulness based stress reduction for emotional eating. Appetite 109:124–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.11.029

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Köse G (2017) Üniversite öğrencilerinin yeme farkındalığı üzerine bir çalışma. (A Research on Mindful Eating of University Students). Dissertation, University of Baskent

  42. Gast J, Madanat H, Nielson AC (2012) Are men more intuitive when it comes to eating and physical activity? Am J Men's Health 6:164–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988311428090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Atalay S (2017) Sezgisel yeme, yeme tutumu, diyet kalitesi ve beden kütle indeksi arasındaki ilişkinin değerlendirilmesi. (Evaluation of relationship between intuitive eating, eating attitude, quality of diet and body mass index). Dissertation, University of Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Haydar Aydınlar

  44. Camilleri G, Mejean C, Bellisle F, Andreeva VA, Kesse-Guyot E, Hercberg S (2016) Intuitive eating is inversely associated with body weight status in the general population-based NutriNet-Sante study. Obesity (Silver Spring) 24:1154–1161. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Horwath C, Hagmann D, Hagmann C (2019) Intuitive eating and food intake in men and women: results from the Swiss food panel study. Appetite 135:61–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.12.036

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Peschel SKV, Tylka TL, Williams DP, Kaess M, Thayer JF, Koenig J (2017) Is intuitive eating related to resting state vagal activity? Auton Neurosci 210:72–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2017.11.005

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Mantzios M, Egan H, Hussain M, Keyte R, Bahia H (2018) Mindfulness, self-compassion, and mindful eating in relation to fat and sugar consumption: an exploratory investigation. Eat Weight Disord 23(6):833–840. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0548-4

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Şengül AM, Hekimoğlu Ş (2005) Vücut kitle indeksi ile yeme tutumu test puanları arasındaki ilişki. (Correlation between the body mass index and eating attitude test scores). Göztepe Tıp Dergisi 20:21–23

    Google Scholar 

  49. Kaya AY, Demirhan A, Demirhan Bİ (2016) Obez hastalarda yeme tutumu ile vücut kitle endeksi arasındaki ilişkinin değerlendirilmesi. (The evaluation of relationship between eating attitudes and body mass index in obese patient). Euras J Fam Med 5:117–119

    Google Scholar 

  50. Czepczor-Bernat K, Brytek-Matera A, Gramaglia C, Zeppegno P (2019) The moderating effects of mindful eating on the relationship between emotional functioning and eating styles in overweight and obese women. Eat Weight Disord. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00740-6

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all individuals who have participated in this study.

Funding

This research was not funded by any Foundations.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Erciyes University, Central Campus Melikgazi, Kayseri, Turkey

    Nilüfer Özkan

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Gazi University, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey

    Saniye Bilici

Authors
  1. Nilüfer Özkan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Saniye Bilici
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors have made significant scientific contributions to this manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Saniye Bilici.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gazi University (No: E.145933 and Date 13/10/2017).

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from participants.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Özkan, N., Bilici, S. Are anthropometric measurements an indicator of intuitive and mindful eating?. Eat Weight Disord 26, 639–648 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00904-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00904-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation