Warning: This article mentions eating disorders, disordered eating and restrictive eating practices.
When registered dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch sat down to write an anti-diet book that promoted intuitive eating in the 1990s, it felt bold — radical even.
Beauty and fashion trends at the time were dominated by a thin obsession, spotlighting the heroin-chic aesthetic along with an intense focus on weight loss and fad diets.
Their book, Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach, released in 1995, encouraged readers to abandon this mentality and instead tune into their bodies' natural hunger and satiety patterns.
"I knew I had to write something that was going to be anti-diet," Ms Resch says.
Thirty years later, the intuitive eating movement has attracted a large online following, from celebrities like Demi Lovato and Gwyneth Paltrow to body acceptance advocates and anti-diet influencers.
"You can think of it as a guide," one TikToker explains in one of nearly 200,000 posts about intuitive eating on the platform. Others have popularised the movement in "what an intuitive eater eats in a day" diaries.
However, despite its widespread adoption online, many people remain unclear about what intuitive eating actually entails. They wonder if it grants permission to consume anything at will and question whether it’s effective for everybody.
Intuitive eating and the Tao of Pooh
In the 1990s, Ms Resch and Ms Tribole were working with patients on calorie-driven diets and prescriptive meal plans.
But some were having a hard time sticking to the diets and losing weight, which was impacting their self-esteem and body image.
"What we found is that our skill set, what we were traditionally taught as dietitians, was not being impactful, and that people were blaming themselves," Ms Tribole says.
"So we did a deep analysis of the research, we considered our own clinical experience. We also looked at what was going on in consumer books … And so together, that's how we came up with this concept [of intuitive eating]."
Around the same time, Ms Resch began reading Benjamin Hoff's Tao of Pooh, which teaches readers about the eastern belief system of Taoism using excerpts from A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh series.
"I went, 'Oh my goodness, this is what I have to do with eating'. Not tell people what to eat, even though I was a dietitian, [but] help them understand what is going on with their bodies … and have them be in a process, rather than a straight line," she says.
Both dieticians felt traditional calorie-driven diets were making people obsessed with eating. This was based on research regarding the psychological effects of deprivation and restrained eating.
"When we're deprived of something, that's all we want. If we are told that something is bad and we still want it, we're going to go after it and feel bad about ourselves," Ms Resch says.
"But if you have the privilege to be able to get food reliably, and you take away all that judgement, all that negativity, no 'good' foods, no 'bad' foods, what ends up happening is something called habituation."
Habituation is a psychological concept which roughly means the more you have of something, the less exciting it is.
"Think about when you [buy] a pair of shoes, how exciting that is, and after a while they're just your shoes," Ms Tribole says.
"Same thing with food … When someone's been chronically restricting their eating to lose weight, they don't habituate food, it stays very exciting … and so this vicious cycle gets amplified with every diet as they go on."
Importantly, intuitive eating does not encourage individuals to eat whatever they want, whenever they want with no regard to nutrition.
Rather than restricting themselves, intuitive eaters allow themselves to consume foods they enjoy, all while paying attention to their hunger and satiety signals and considering scientifically-backed nutritional advice.
In fact, one study has found Intuitive eating correlates with increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in adults.
What is the process behind intuitive eating?
Intuitive eating emphasizes the manner of eating rather than the specific foods consumed. People are guided to reconnect with their innate sense regarding food, enabling them to better understand and respond to their own desires and hunger signals.
A set of ten guidelines forms the foundation for intuitive eating, covering aspects such as 'listening to your hunger,' 'embracing dietary flexibility,' and maintaining your well-being through 'moderate nutritional choices.'
Other guidelines — which do not need to be adhered to in any specific sequence — encompass 'movement,' instead of concentrating solely on the calorie-torching aspect of physical activity, as well as 'honoring your body.'
"It’s a process of exploration. There’s no pass or fail here. Instead, it involves learning new things, letting go of old ideas, and getting back in touch with your body and the vital… signals it communicates," states Ms Tribole.
The increasing popularity of intuitive eating on the internet has paralleled the emergence of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, which have been praised as the "skinny pen" as well as the "obesity epidemic" conclusion.
Critics contend that the strong emphasis on using Ozempic for weight loss frequently promotes damaging body standards and creates an environment where people feel compelled to prioritize slimness rather than health. "holistic well-being" .
Intuitive eating serves as an opposition to such mindsets, encouraging individuals to release their focus on attaining specific body forms or dimensions and allowing them unrestricted freedom to consume food.
"Consider what would constitute a fulfilling meal for you? How do you wish to feel afterward? What appeals to your taste? It all comes down to individual preferences," Ms Tribole suggests.
This aligns with the Health at Every Size initiative, which downplays weight as an indicator of someone’s well-being. Additionally, it complements the body neutrality movement, suggesting that our bodies are merely vessels that transport us through life.
And numerous studies show Eating based on internal cues positively affects psychological health, such as boosting self-esteem and enhancing overall quality of life, but it doesn’t influence weight loss.
Although there isn’t one correct approach to embracing intuitive eating principles, the initial step often involves discarding the guidelines of diet culture.
Ms Tribole suggests that after years of dieting, restricting particular foods, and ignoring your body’s innate signals, eating can become quite perplexing.
She mentions that it can seem as though everything is askew.
People are likewise invited to reassess their views on nutrition and well-being.
"In order to truly adopt intuitive eating, you must understand that it shouldn’t merely rely on instinct alone, as our instincts are influenced by emotions and our thoughts regarding food," explains Ms Resch.
Lyndi Cohen, a dietitian recognized as the "Nude Nutritionist" on Instagram, credits intuitive eating for helping herself and her clientele escape from the clutches of diet culture.
Ms Cohen was raised as a constant dieter, leading to what she describes as a binge eating disorder during her teenage years.
The concept of intuitive eating truly clicked for me; it was like a light bulb turning on. It was incredibly refreshing to find a method that seemed achievable without needing to meticulously count or weigh all my food intake.
She mentions that she experienced solace in the structure which doesn’t push for weight reduction, but instead promotes understanding that all individuals' body types function uniquely.
The most challenging part is beginning again and relearning how to eat whilst also learning to trust your body; however, it becomes more manageable with practice over time.
Criticisms of intuitive eating
The rise in popularity of intuitive eating has sparked criticism from bloggers as well as discussions on platforms such as Reddit.
"Swipe through the #intuitiveeating hashtag on Instagram, and...it gives the impression that intuitive eating is solely for those who are slim," Christine Byrne contributes to the Ruby Oak nutrition blog .
She mentioned that this was largely due to the overarching influence of the nutrition sector, an area predominantly shaped by petite Caucasian females.
"For my part, I try to spread messages about intuitive eating without centering myself or my own body," she wrote, before providing a list of dietitians in diverse bodies, with various gender, racial, and ethnic identities to follow on social media.
Other reviewers concentrate on the genuine structure. Healthcare experts have contended that intuitive eating dismisses scientific evidence about the mechanisms through which the body controls weight and the possible advantages of shedding pounds.
Just like anything that evolves over time, the core message of intuitive eating has occasionally been misinterpreted by those promoting its advantages.
A widespread misunderstanding is that intuitive eating aids in weight loss for individuals.
Ms Resch mentions that some individuals may shed pounds, others might put on weight, while some remain unchanged.
Ms Tribole observes that people often overlook the "dynamic integration of all the principles" and tend to concentrate solely on one or two aspects instead.
She notes that describing this approach as centered on hunger and satiety isn’t incorrect, yet it might suggest that one must strictly eat only when hungry and halt immediately upon feeling full… Not at all; rather, it’s an exploratory process,” she explains.
Maybe the most significant issue arises when critics perceive intuitive eating as an open invitation to disregard fundamental nutritional requirements and indulge in "junk food constantly."
"When you allow yourself to enjoy the chips without feeling guilty, judged, or thinking they are scarce, what typically happens is that you come to understand that consuming an entire bowl doesn’t leave you feeling great," explains Ms Cohen.
So, rather than following a food guideline, and instead of nutrition seeming like an obligation or penalty, it feels more like making a selection.
Does intuitive eating suit everybody?
Intuitive eating is an approach without dieting that promotes self-care and a healthy appreciation of one’s own body.
However, Ms Cohen states that it is usually not advised for individuals who have been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, as they cannot rely on their feelings of hunger and fullness in the same manner as others.
Nonetheless, intuitive eating can prove extremely beneficial for individuals grappling with other eating disorders, according to her.
A 2021 longitudinal study found Intuitive eating resulted in improved psychological and behavioral well-being for individuals with bulimia, as well as reduced likelihoods of engaging in binge eating and fasting behaviors.
“If individuals suffer from an eating disorder, experience trauma, or have a medical condition, they can still practice intuitive eating. However, this typically requires working with a specialist,” according to Ms Tribole.
Ms Resch admits that eating intuitively also involves having a wide range of food options available and being financially capable of purchasing them, which is a luxury not shared by everybody.
"To enter the domain where one can consume anything at any time they desire, you must possess the luxury of having access to such options," Ms Resch states.
However, if that’s not the case, we should also show empathy towards individuals who are giving their best effort and aren’t being criticised by a society that believes one should exclusively consume kale and sip on smoothies.
Although their book is three decades old, Ms Tribole and Ms Resch feel that the principles of intuitive eating continue to hold equal relevance today.
"Given the widespread use of GLP-1s, we’re noticing that many individuals are experiencing significant conflicts regarding their bodies and body sizes once more," Ms Tribole states.
Ms Resch further suggests that there might be an increased acceptance of the concept of autonomy and following what one believes is best for themselves.
This information is provided generally only. For personalized guidance, consult a qualified healthcare provider.