Intuitive Eating Scale, IES-2 – Chinese Version

Description

Intuitive eating is an adaptive eating behavior that relies on internal physiological hunger and satiety cues rather than external situational or emotional triggers to guide eating. The concept of intuitive eating was first discussed in a peer-reviewed context in 1998, where scholars explored its potential benefits in health education, critically assessing its practicality and ethics. Intuitive eating is characterized by three main features: 1. Eating out of hunger and stopping when full; 2. The ability to eat any desired food without restrictions; 3. Eating to satisfy physiological needs rather than as a coping mechanism for negative emotions.

In 2006, Tylka developed the Intuitive Eating Scale (IES), which was revised in 2013 to form the second version (IES-2). The IES-2 is currently used in multiple countries and is applicable to various populations. Research indicates that intuitive eating behavior can reduce the risk of eating disorders, lower BMI levels in overweight and obese populations, and improve mental health. A meta-analysis by VanDykeNina on the relationship between intuitive eating and health indicators showed that intuitive eating may improve physical health metrics, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In diabetic populations, studies have shown that intuitive eating can enhance blood glucose control in type 1 diabetes patients (with a negative correlation between IES-2 scores and HbA1c levels) and reduce fasting blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients. Numerous studies have highlighted the significant effects of intuitive eating on pregnant women regarding appropriate weight gain and blood sugar control, as well as its positive impact on early postpartum weight recovery and blood sugar management in women with gestational diabetes. Additionally, research indicates that intuitive eating may enhance the mental health of college students.

Authors and Contact Email

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Purpose

The purpose of the study was to assess college students’ levels of intuitive eating and their relationship with self-reported health assessment scores.

Test Year

Information not available

Administration Method and Scoring

The Chinese version of the Intuitive Eating Scale (IES-2) consists of 23 items across four dimensions, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A higher score indicates greater adherence to the principles of intuitive eating. The overall Cronbach’s α coefficient for the scale is 0.706. The Cronbach’s α coefficients for the four dimensions are as follows: Unconditional Permission to Eat (UPE) 0.617, Eating for Physical Rather Than Emotional Reasons (EPR) 0.837, Reliance on Hunger and Satiety Cues (RHSC) 0.806, and Body-Food Choice Congruence (B-FCC) 0.789.

Reliability and Validity

The reliability and validity of the IES-2 were evaluated in a study involving 597 college students from eight universities in China, with an effective sample size of 542, yielding an effective recovery rate of 90.79%. The scale is statistically effective for multivariate analysis.

Factors and Subscales

The IES-2 has four dimensions:
– 无条件允许进食 (Unconditional Permission to Eat, UPE)
– 以身体而非情绪原因进食 (Eating for Physical Rather Than Emotional Reasons, EPR)
– 依赖饥饿感和饱腹感暗示进食 (Reliance on Hunger and Satiety Cues, RHSC)
– 身体-食物选择一致性 (Body-Food Choice Congruence, B-FCC)

Keywords

Intuitive Eating, College Students, Health, Eating Behavior, Psychological Wellbeing

Items in Chinese

1. 我尽量避免某些含高脂肪、高碳水化合物或高卡路里的食物。
2. 我发现自己在情绪激动的时候吃东西(如焦虑、沮丧等)，即使我身体不饿。
3. 如果我渴望吃某种食物，我允许自己吃。
4. 我因为吃了不健康的东西而生自己的气。
5. 我发现自己在孤独的时候吃东西，即使我身体不饿。
6. 我相信我的身体能告诉我什么时候吃。
7. 我相信我的身体能告诉我吃什么。
8. 我相信我的身体能告诉我该吃多少。
9. 我有禁止吃的食物，我不允许自己吃。(疾病、过敏或相关药物禁忌症等不可抗因素才选择禁止吃的食物不计)
10. 我用食物帮我抚平我的负面情绪。
11. 我发现自己压力很大的时候会吃东西，即使我身体不饿。
12. 我能够应付我的负面情绪(例如悲伤)而不通过食物找慰藉。
13. 当我感到无聊的时候，我不会通过吃东西来解决乏味。
14. 当我感到孤独的时候，我不会通过食物找慰藉。
15. 除了吃东西外，我还能找到其他方法来应对紧张和焦虑。
16. 我允许自己吃我现在想吃的食物(尽管有些我知道我不能吃)
17. 我不遵守常规的饮食规律或节食计划(规定我什么时候吃和/或吃多少)
18. 大多数时候，我都想吃有营养的食物。
19. 我主要吃那些能让我的身体更健康的食物。
20. 我主要吃那些能为我身体提供能量和耐力的食物。
21. 我依靠饥饿感来告诉我什么时候吃。
22. 我依靠饱腹感来告诉我什么时候停止吃。
23. 我相信我的身体能告诉我什么时候停止吃。

Items in English

1. I try to avoid certain foods that are high in fat, carbohydrates, or calories.
2. I find myself eating when I am emotional (e.g., anxious, depressed), even when I am not physically hungry.
3. If I crave a certain food, I allow myself to eat it.
4. I get angry at myself for eating unhealthy food.
5. I find myself eating when I am lonely, even when I am not physically hungry.
6. I trust my body to tell me when to eat.
7. I trust my body to tell me what to eat.
8. I trust my body to tell me how much to eat.
9. I have forbidden foods that I do not allow myself to eat. (Only foods prohibited due to illness, allergies, or related medication contraindications are considered here.)
10. I use food to comfort myself when I am feeling negative emotions.
11. I find myself eating when I am very stressed, even when I am not physically hungry.
12. I can cope with my negative emotions (like sadness) without turning to food for comfort.
13. When I feel bored, I do not use food to fill that void.
14. When I feel lonely, I do not turn to food for comfort.
15. Besides eating, I can find other ways to cope with stress and anxiety.
16. I allow myself to eat the foods I want to eat right now (even if I know there are some I shouldn’t eat).
17. I do not adhere to conventional eating rules or dieting plans (that dictate when I eat and/or how much).
18. Most of the time, I want to eat nutritious foods.
19. I mainly eat foods that promote my health.
20. I primarily eat foods that provide my body with energy and stamina.
21. I rely on my hunger cues to tell me when to eat.
22. I rely on my satiety cues to tell me when to stop eating.
23. I trust my body to tell me when to stop eating.

References

杜亚坦. 大学生直觉饮食水平与自测健康评定量表得分的关系研究[D].华中科技大学,2020.DOI:10.27157/d.cnki.ghzku.2020.000296.
马先,郭蕾蕾,张林.直觉饮食量表中文版在大学生中的信效度检验[J].中华行为医学与脑科学杂志,2019(08):751-754.