The effect of intuitive eating and conscious eating on glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Eating behavior models such as intuitive eating (IE) and mindful eating (ME) have recently gained importance in a role in providing glycemic control. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of intuitive eating and mindful eating on the dietary treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to investigate their relationship with glycemic control and obesity. Methods: A total of 153 patients who were diagnosed with T2DM within at least one year and aged between 19 and 64 years were included. Descriptive characteristics of the patients were questioned using face-to-face interviews and anthropometric measurements The Intuitive Eating Scale 2 (IES-2) was used to evaluate intuitive eating behaviors and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) was used to assess mindful eating behaviors. Results: The total IES-2 score was higher in patients with T2DM who had inadequate glycemic control (p<0.05), and a one-point increase in the IES-2 increased the probability of HbA1c level above 7 % by 25.2 % (p<0.05). There was a moderate negative correlation between the total MEQ score and body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio in the patients with adequate glycemic control (r=-0.526, r=-0.537, r=-0.506, r=-0.510, respectively; p<0.05). There was a weak negative correlation between the total IES-2 score and BMI and between the total MEQ score and waist-to-height ratio, triglyceride, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the patients with inadequate glycemic control (r=-0.225, r=-0.224, r=-0.114, r=-0.178, respectively; p<0.05). Conclusions: This study results suggest that intuitive eating adversely affects glycemic control in patients with T2DM and mindful eating is positively associated with body weight control, although it has no direct effect on glycemic control.