Links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood: do food intake and exercise mediate this association?
BackgroundIn recent years, intuitive eating (IE) and mindful eating (ME) have emerged as promising approaches for developing a healthier relationship with food. Research also suggests that diet can significantly impact one's mental health. Nevertheless, there is no evidence to suggest that IE o...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1458082/full |
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| author | Murat Açik Nazlı Nur Aslan Çin |
| author_facet | Murat Açik Nazlı Nur Aslan Çin |
| author_sort | Murat Açik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundIn recent years, intuitive eating (IE) and mindful eating (ME) have emerged as promising approaches for developing a healthier relationship with food. Research also suggests that diet can significantly impact one's mental health. Nevertheless, there is no evidence to suggest that IE or ME can be associated with mental wellbeing through the influence of dietary patterns or practices. This study investigates the influence of IE and ME on mental wellbeing by affecting dietary practices.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 990 adults were administered the intuitive eating scale-2 (IES-2), the mindful eating questionnaire (MEQ), and the Food Mood Questionnaire (FMQ). Briefly, FMQ consists of weekly servings of food groups known to influence brain function and chemistry and the Kessler psychological distress scale (K-6). Correlation analyses were performed to determine the relationships among K-6, IES-2, MEQ, and food groups, and path analyses were performed to assess the mediating effects of food groups on the relationship between the K-6 scale, IES-2, and MEQ.ResultsA moderate negative association was found between the K-6 scale and IES-2 and MEQ (r = −0.47 and −0.36, respectively). Furthermore, exercise, breakfast, dairy products, fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) were directly related to psychological distress (path coefficient = −0.104, −0.151, −0.181, −0.235, and −0.238, respectively), while IES-2 and MEQ had indirect associations with psychological distress via FMQ components (path coefficient = −0.262 and −0.212). Among the IES-2 sub-dimensions, Unconditional Permission to Eat (UPE) and Reliance on Hunger and Satiety Cues (RHSC) were found to be indirectly associated with psychological distress through mediatory effects of exercise, breakfast, dairy, fruit, and DGLV. Breakfast and DGLV also mediated partially indirect negative effects of recognition (a sub-dimension of MEQ) on the K-6 scale.ConclusionThis study showed that adopting IE and ME habits effectively associated dietary and lifestyle practices and that some dietary practices and exercise were important for the link between IE and ME to mental distress. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ca0f0b08c4e14726bd7ed40cf6277b45 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-ca0f0b08c4e14726bd7ed40cf6277b452025-08-20T03:12:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2025-05-011210.3389/fnut.2025.14580821458082Links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood: do food intake and exercise mediate this association?Murat Açik0Nazlı Nur Aslan Çin1Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Fırat University, Elâzığ, TürkiyeFaculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, TürkiyeBackgroundIn recent years, intuitive eating (IE) and mindful eating (ME) have emerged as promising approaches for developing a healthier relationship with food. Research also suggests that diet can significantly impact one's mental health. Nevertheless, there is no evidence to suggest that IE or ME can be associated with mental wellbeing through the influence of dietary patterns or practices. This study investigates the influence of IE and ME on mental wellbeing by affecting dietary practices.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 990 adults were administered the intuitive eating scale-2 (IES-2), the mindful eating questionnaire (MEQ), and the Food Mood Questionnaire (FMQ). Briefly, FMQ consists of weekly servings of food groups known to influence brain function and chemistry and the Kessler psychological distress scale (K-6). Correlation analyses were performed to determine the relationships among K-6, IES-2, MEQ, and food groups, and path analyses were performed to assess the mediating effects of food groups on the relationship between the K-6 scale, IES-2, and MEQ.ResultsA moderate negative association was found between the K-6 scale and IES-2 and MEQ (r = −0.47 and −0.36, respectively). Furthermore, exercise, breakfast, dairy products, fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) were directly related to psychological distress (path coefficient = −0.104, −0.151, −0.181, −0.235, and −0.238, respectively), while IES-2 and MEQ had indirect associations with psychological distress via FMQ components (path coefficient = −0.262 and −0.212). Among the IES-2 sub-dimensions, Unconditional Permission to Eat (UPE) and Reliance on Hunger and Satiety Cues (RHSC) were found to be indirectly associated with psychological distress through mediatory effects of exercise, breakfast, dairy, fruit, and DGLV. Breakfast and DGLV also mediated partially indirect negative effects of recognition (a sub-dimension of MEQ) on the K-6 scale.ConclusionThis study showed that adopting IE and ME habits effectively associated dietary and lifestyle practices and that some dietary practices and exercise were important for the link between IE and ME to mental distress.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1458082/fullintuitive eatingmindful eatingpsychological distressdietary patternsexercise |
| spellingShingle | Murat Açik Nazlı Nur Aslan Çin Links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood: do food intake and exercise mediate this association? Frontiers in Nutrition intuitive eating mindful eating psychological distress dietary patterns exercise |
| title | Links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood: do food intake and exercise mediate this association? |
| title_full | Links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood: do food intake and exercise mediate this association? |
| title_fullStr | Links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood: do food intake and exercise mediate this association? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood: do food intake and exercise mediate this association? |
| title_short | Links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood: do food intake and exercise mediate this association? |
| title_sort | links between intuitive and mindful eating and mood do food intake and exercise mediate this association |
| topic | intuitive eating mindful eating psychological distress dietary patterns exercise |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1458082/full |
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