A qualitative exploration of perceived barriers and facilitators to following an intuitive eating style

Background: Intuitive eating involves following internal cues of hunger and satiety to guide eating choices as opposed to responding to external signals, strong emotions, or dietary rules. This style of eating has consistently been shown to be related to better physical and psychological health indicators, and more interventions are being designed and studied to promote this eating style. The current study aimed to identify anticipated facilitators and barriers to following this style of eating among a group of college students enrolled in a larger study of intuitive eating. Method: Following a week of tracking their current eating as part of a larger study, college students read a description of intuitive eating. They then answered three open-ended questions about following intuitive eating including facilitators, barriers, and perceived ability to follow long term. Responses were coded using thematic analysis to identify themes across responses. Results: Among 100 participants, 86 % were female, 46 % were Hispanic (41 % non-Hispanic White, 13 % other race/ethnicity), mean age was 24.3 years, and mean body mass index was 26.2. The most commonly anticipated participant-reported facilitators of intuitive eating were being in touch with the body's needs and hunger cues, positive perceptions of intuitive eating, and health considerations. The most commonly anticipated barriers were logistical constraints (e.g., busyness and mealtimes), difficulty with hunger cues and reactions to food, and negative perceptions of intuitive eating. The majority of participants (64 %) would consider following this style of eating long term. Discussion: This study provides information that can be used to improve efforts aimed at promoting intuitive eating to college students, including marketing intuitive eating interventions, and clarifying misunderstandings of its key tenets that might serve as barriers.