a "diet" that makes sense

Diets for weight loss usually involve a restriction. The 5: 2 diet relies on a limitation of calories and the ketogenic diet on a restriction of certain types of foods.

Research however suggests that a restrictive diet can lead to a higher body mass index (BMI) over time and a greater future probability of being overweight.

There is also evidence suggesting that a dietary restriction can lead to a dietary concern, to guilt eating and to higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress.

So, if diets do not always help you lose weight and can contribute to psychological problems, what are the other solutions? Recently, there is a growing interest in the concept of "intuitive consumption".

Intuitive nutrition was popularized by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, who published a book on the subject and developed a dedicated website.

The purpose of eating intuitively is to listen to your body and allow it to tell you when and how much to eat, rather than being influenced by your environment, your emotions or the rules prescribed by the diets. The concept is similar to a conscious diet and the terms are often used interchangeably.

Consciously consuming means being aware of the inner signals of hunger and satiety and making conscious food choices. He emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the emotional and physical sensations experienced while eating.

Unlike many other diets, an intuitive diet encourages you to eat what you want – no food is forbidden. Although some may think that it may lead to dietary adherence to foods that are high in fat or sugar, research indicates that this is not the case. In fact, proponents of intuitive eating suggest that the more you limit yourself, the more likely you are to gorge yourself later.

The concept of intuitive eating is simple and does not involve complicated dietary rules. But what does the evidence suggest?

Positive effect on mental health

In terms of weight loss, it is not yet clear that intuitive diet is more effective than caloric restriction. The results of observational studies have shown that people who eat intuitively have a lower BMI than others. However, because people who are limiting can do so because they already have a high BMI, it is difficult to determine the true effect of intuitive eating. In addition, the results of intervention studies with overweight or obese people are not as clear.

For example, one review found that of the eight studies evaluated, only two found weight reduction due to intuitive eating. In a more recent review, weight loss was only observed in eight of the 16 studies. And of those eight, weight loss was statistically significant in only three.

Unlike other diets, intuitive intuition is not about losing weight, but about why people eat. Thus, although its effectiveness as a method of weight loss is uncertain, it could still offer benefits in encouraging healthy eating behavior.

Research has confirmed this possibility, suggesting that an intuitive diet could result in a reduction of bulimic overeating symptoms and a diet for external and emotional reasons. Intuitive eating is also associated with positive body image, positive body satisfaction, positive emotional functioning, and increased self-esteem.

Finally, a recent study found that higher levels of intuitive eating predicted fewer eating disorder symptoms, compared to calorie counting and frequent self-weighing. This contrasts with typical restrictive diets associated with an increased risk of eating disorders, which may be higher in people who also have symptoms of depression and low self-esteem.

Although more research is needed to determine whether intuitive eating can lead to weight loss, the positive effects on mental health and healthy eating behavior are promising.

Listen to yourself

A problem with intuitive eating is that it assumes that we can accurately say how hungry or full we are. Research suggests that people who perceive inner feelings better can also eat more intuitively. However, as it is proven that people with eating disorders have difficulty recognizing the signals from their body, it seems possible that some people have difficulty responding to the intuitive eating approach simply because they have hard to listen to their own body.

Moreover, although it seems logical to eat only on the basis of internal sensations rather than environmental cues, this is not a practical solution for many people. The time you eat is often out of your control, such as sticking to specific family meals, or at specific times during work to take a lunch break. Although in principle, eating when hungry seems ideal, but in practice, it is not always possible.

Intuitive diet can be an effective way to lose weight, but so far there is not enough evidence to suggest that it works better than conventional calorie restrictive diets. But the intuitive benefits of diet for psychological health suggest that it is a much healthier approach to the way you eat.

It may not work for everyone, especially for those who have a hard time feeling sensations in their own body. But at a time when it seems like everything in our environment tells us what to eat and in what quantity, it can be helpful to take the time to listen to your body to find out what you need.

Melissa Barker, PhD Candidate, Royal Holloway

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.