Effectiveness of a text-messaging intervention on intuitive eating: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Intuitive eating (IE) is a concept based on mind-body integration of instinct, emotion and rational thought, to improve eating behaviors, physical and mental health. Several attempts were developed to teach IE principles including text-messaging interventions given that they are easy to implement and low-cost. Objective The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a five-week text-message-based IE intervention on IE, while correcting for perceived stress (PS) and self-compassion (SC). Design A randomized control trial. Setting Online, in Lebanon. Participants Adults (n=195) were randomized into one of three groups: the active IE group receiving IE-related messages with a practice exercise, the passive IE group receiving only IE-related messages and the control group receiving general health-related tips. Ten messages were delivered over five weeks. Two follow-ups were made: directly post-intervention and five weeks later. Baseline data and follow-ups included demographics, nutrition-related variables and measures of IE, SC and PS. Results Results indicated improvements in IE scores in the two intervention groups (p=0.05), with the passive IE group showing the most improvement. Also, a significant improvement in SC (Λ= 0.88, F (2, 63)=4.40, p=0.01), and reduction in PS (Λ= 0.86, F (2, 63)=5.21, p=0.008) were observed in the active IE group. Conclusion Text-messaging interventions might be efficient in enhancing IE. Results shed light on the need for further large-scale interventions that use visual aids and provide practical guidance to teach IE, while further characterizing the relation between IE, SC and stress.

Challenges and opportunities for conceptualizing intuitive eating in autistic people

“…Furthermore, there is evidence IE can be modified according to context and population, such as its delivery format (e.g., online delivery, facilitated workshops; Babbott et al, 2022;Manana et al, 2023) and sample (e.g., college students, partners of military members; Burnette & Mazzeo, 2020;Burnette et al, 2022;Cole & Horacek, 2010). As such, research has found self-management (i.e., the participant is responsible for implementing, measuring, and evaluating their own behaviors) to be feasible and efficacious (Babbott et al, 2022; for example, see Boucher et al, 2016).…”