Intuitive eating (i.e., reliance on physiologic hunger and satiety cues to guide eating) has been proposed as a healthier, more effective, and more innate alternative to current strategies of weight management. The current study explored intuitive eating among young adults according to socio-demographic characteristics and body mass index (BMI), and examined associations between intuitive and disordered eating behaviors. Data were drawn from Project EAT-III, a population-based study of 2,287 young adults (mean age: 25.3 years). More males reported trusting their bodies to tell them how much to eat than did females. Intuitive eating was inversely associated with BMI in both genders. Males and females who reported trusting their body to tell them how much to eat had lower odds of utilizing disordered eating behaviors compared to those that did not have this trust. Females who reported that they stop eating when they are full had lower odds of chronic dieting and binge eating than those who do not stop eating when full. Overall, this study found that intuitive eating practices are inversely associated with a number of harmful outcomes. Clinicians should discuss the concept of intuitive eating with their young adult patients to promote healthier weight-related outcomes.
Purpose-Previous research has shown a relationship between childhood/adolescent chronic conditions and negative health behaviors, psychological outcomes, and social outcomes. Less is known about whether these negative outcomes are experienced by young adults with chronic health conditions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how young adults' BMI, health behaviors, and psychological and social outcomes differ depending on whether they have diabetes, asthma, or neither of these chronic conditions.Methods-Data were drawn from the third wave of Project EAT-III: Eating and Activity in Young Adults, a population-based study of 2287 young adults (mean age = 25.3; range 19.8 -31.2). General linear models were used to test differences in BMI, health behaviors (e.g., fast food intake) and psychosocial outcomes (e.g. depressive symptoms) by young adults' chronic disease status.Results-Young adults with diabetes had higher BMIs, engaged in less physical activity and more unhealthy weight control behaviors and binge eating, had lower self-esteem and lower body satisfaction, and experienced more depressive symptoms and appearance-based teasing compared to young adults with asthma or no chronic conditions, after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES) and, when relevant, for BMI. There were no significant differences between young adults with asthma and young adults with no chronic condition on all of the psychosocial and health behavior outcomes.Conclusions-Young adults with diabetes reported higher prevalence of negative health behaviors and psychosocial outcomes. Providers may find it useful to assess for negative health Address for correspondence: Jerica M. Berge, PhD, LMFT Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Phillips Wangensteen Building 516 Delaware Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 Voice: 612-626-3693 mohl0009@umn.edu. CONTRIBUTORS STATEMENT All co-authors made a substantial contribution to the paper. Dr. Berge conceptualized the paper, conducted data analysis and interpretation, and wrote all drafts of the paper. Dr. Neumark-Sztainer is the principal investigator of Project EAT and assisted in conceptualizing the paper, critically revised the paper and gave final approval of the version to be published. Dr. Bauer assisted with the data analysis and the interpretation of the data. She also critically revised the paper and gave final approval of the version to be published. Dr. Eisenberg assisted with the conceptualization of the paper and the interpretation of the data. She also critically revised the paper and gave final approval of the version to be published. Dr. Denny assisted the interpretation of the data and critically revised the paper and gave final approval of the version to be published. behaviors and psychosocial variables with young adults with diabetes in order to improve treatment and quality of life for these individuals.
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