Opposite ends of the spectrum: Does emotional eating present more barriers to applying mindful eating and intuitive eating strategies for females?

Objective We aimed to evaluate the relationship between intuitive eating, mindful eating, emotional eating and dietary restraint behaviors and the role of gender in these relationships. Material and Method This study was conducted with 522 participants aged 18-65. Questionnaire about sociodemographic characteristics and general eating habits, Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2), Mindful Eating Questionnaire-30 (MEQ-30), and Emotional Eating and Restraint Eating Subscale of Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) were administered to the participants. Results DEBQ Restraint Eating, and Emotional Eating subscale scores were found to be higher in women. The total scores of IES-2 and MEQ-30 were found to be higher in the group with Body Mass Index (BMI)<25, and the DEBQ Emotional Eating subscale score was found to be higher in the group with BMI≥25. The negative correlation between DEBQ Emotional Eating subscale score and IES-2 total score was weak in men and strong in women. The negative relationship between MEQ-30 total score and DEBQ Emotional Eating subscale score was moderate in men and strong in women. We found that gender had a moderator role between IES-2 and MEQ-30 total scores and between MEQ-30 total score and DEBQ Emotional Eating score. Conclusion Overweight and obese participants had lower levels of intuitive eating and mindful eating, while emotional eating levels were higher. Mindful eating and intuitive eating strategies may be concepts that represent two opposite ends of a spectrum with emotional eating, and emotional eating can be an obstacle when these strategies are administered, especially in women.